What I LOVE about these videos is how Kenji is so obviously a chef in subtle ways. Other RUclips "chefs" make good meals and videos, but the way Kenji can't let a single moment pass just standing in the kitchen. Every spare moment is cleaning, wiping down, checking the work space.
Your ability to never get tired of re-explaining things like the benefits of american cheese is a clear sign you're an excellent teacher. Props to you man, thanks for all the years of educating us.
I also appreciate his ability to explain fundamentals. That being said, I don’t care what the justification is for using american cheese. Maybe I have some tastebud abnormality, but I cannot enjoy american cheese. There is no melty texture worth it.
I have had people say velveeta cheese is fake. It's a blend of multiple cheeses and milk based inputs. They use canola oil in it instead of milk fat as the fat source, so its got the lowest saturated fat out of any american cheese. Compare the saturated fat of a kraft single to a velveeta slice. The lower one is the healthier choice. Also consider the Mediterranean diet relies on olive oil that is 2g saturated fat per serving. Canola oil is 1g saturated fat per serving. It's healthier cheese, not fake cheese.
I like it when Kenji distracts himself with his own immense knowledge of food and goes down rabbit holes to correct himself (e.g. American v Canadian bacon). We love you Kenji!!!❤
muffin last forever - i think if you keep the temp low-ish there won't be any chemicals leeching out. Those lids are made for canning which gets to 250 deg-F, so should be fine?
Correct! Teflon/PTFE starts to offgas at 500F (260C) - as long as you're not putting it in your oven or searing it over max heat, you are probably fine!
Muffin lasts forever: I'm sure the canning lid insert is doing you no favors health wise, but at a minimum it's another thing to wash. McDonald's just uses rings and contained steam. So, to duplicate their method, you can do everything you've already been doing and just leave out the sealing ring. Source: I'm a former McDonald's line cook. :-) So many people cook their bacon too hot! Thanks for pointing that out. Now I just need to get my mom to watch this video. McDonald's is a medium heat as well for bacon consistency.
I'm not a purist but the lid part of the mason jar top did make me wince. OTOH, mason jars are meant to take hot ingredients and then be sterilized in boiling water so the rubber and whatever-it-is finish on the inside of the top may be heat safe.
@TamarLitvot so you really think hot ingredients, often with oil or vinegar, INSIDE with direct contact to the rubber...and then stored for month is somehow better? Or do you think the liquid will bever be in contact with it when you put on the lid? Because damn I have some bridges to sell you then.
hey I love the new format and all, but could you also keep doing the GoPro method too? love the immersive experience and also in a few of your recent videos I can’t see the pan/ the food you’re working on at all due to camera angles. Either way thanks for everything you do, I love learning from you!
I love the GoPro too! I think both angles are nice, this one definitely gives “Cooking Show” vibes, and isn’t nearly as distracting as the go pro. There is just something special about stepping into the PoV of someone who moves through a kitchen as effortlessly as most breathe.
Canadian here (Toronto), and FWIW I/we would never use the phrase "streaky bacon" - it's just bacon. I've only ever heard "streaky bacon" from British relatives.
Same story over here in Vancouver, and I can confirm, the same is also true on the prairies. Maybe some of those Newfies are calling it streaky bacon lol
Yeah, lifelong Albertan other than a three year stint in Victoria. Definitely not a term we use here. My girlfriend grew up between Vancouver and Saskatchewan, she's never heard anyone in either place use it. I've heard a Vancouverite friend of mine call it streaky bacon, but his grandparents were about as English as one can get, and he went to Cambridge, so I'd tend to attribute it to those influences. In my experience, bacon as a disambiguation always meant pork belly, while loin bacon was "back bacon". Only time I ever saw back bacon growing up was my dad's english breakfasts or eggs benedict.
@@willdabeastIam Just bacon in Newfoundland too haha! I always laugh at the "Canadian bacon" name (which I appreciate Kenji mentioning in another vid is slightly different than our peameal bacon) that makes people think we have other names for regular ass bacon LOL
The cheese on the bottom is so that the sandwich travels well: a barrier against moisture making the bottom half soggy over time spent transporting the sandwich. This is used in other sandwiches that are to-go, most notably a Reuben which would literally fall apart. A to-go Reuben should have cheese on both slices with the sauerkraut AND 1000 Island dressing between equal portions of corned beef
@@donscott6431 If I may, I'd like to take your comment a step further... I always thought that having the cheese on the bottom would make sure the cheese would remain inside the sandwich. The English muffin would hang onto the cheese. If it were placed between the egg and Canadian bacon or a sausage patty, the cheese would ooze into the wrapper.
@@JoeBeardsley That's a good point. I go so far as to fold the corners of the cheese inside. Part of the "show" of a fast food restaurant muffin or burger is the cheese all over the paper, but I prefer mine inside when possible.
My husband makes me One of These using This exact me This when I have an extra busy day ahead of me at work. I always feel so loved when I hear the wrapper in my work bag and know I have breakfast made for me. 😊 I think breakfast sandwiches might be a love language.
Love the title... and more work too! 😆 Yes... cooking at home is more work than going out or grabbing something from a drive-thru ... but being able to control the ingredients and cost these days is of utmost importance... love your channel and videos and outlook on food Sir 😊💙
is it just me or is the title a subtle jab at those Josh Weissman style "But Better" videos where he unironically starts by buying a $500 home grain mill and making his own flour to make homemade english muffins (no, seriously, he actually did this)
For the eggs, I use Crumpet rings, brushed with melted butter or sprayed with Pam. I start by preheating the rings for a minute or so, then I crack an egg into a ring, using the eggshell halves to "scissor" the egg and yolk as they fall into the ring. I put an ice cube into the pan, and then cover with a lid. After the egg is set, I uncover the pan and flip the egg after removing the ring. This does result in some browning of the egg, which might not be ideal for everyone.
When busy, like on a workday, I like to scramble an egg in a buttered 1cup pyrex and then microwave it. You have to pause and whisk a few times. Takes about 1 minute, then put the american cheese on and optionally microwave a little more or just let the heat from the egg melt it. Then onto an english muffin with bacon (if pre-cooked), or a sausage patty (which can be microwaved at the same time as the egg), or some deli ham. A related alternative is to tear up the ham and cheese and mix them into the egg and nuke the whole thing.
Muffin lasts forever: I love that you pointed out that American cheese is just cheese with emulsifiers. I love Adam Ragusea's video where he makes his own sodium citrate and NileRed's video where he makes his own cheese singles. Regarding the mason jar lids, honestly if it's good enough for my hot pickle brine then it's good enough for eggs. With all of the stuff we encounter in the modern day, I thinking mason jar lids are really the least of our worries. Thank you so much for sharing this video, I love breakfast sandwiches and learned a few great techniques from this video that I will definitely try at home.
Kenji! Your new set looks so cozy and nice, and you've got the lighting NAILED! The overhead cam does a good job of emulating the GoPro as well - I really enjoy seeing that view so I know what to look for when I'm cooking at home.
I used to use the mason jar lids to make the eggs, but they get really hard to clean. I bought the silicone rings from Lodge that have heat resistant handles. They are great.
12:10 I love that even an expert like Kenji still has that thing where you have to touch everything surrounding to remind you of what you're doing. I do it all the time but now I don't feel so bad about it
Muffins last forever :-) In my *extensive* experience (this is one of my favorite things to cook) trying to recreate the bodega tin foil cheese meld/sandwich melt at home, it is crucial to toast the bread in the toaster or on the pan immediately before constructing the sandwich and wrapping it up immediately so that heat/steam from the bread is enough to melt the cheese. It’s always been a delicately timed endeavor for me but you just putting the whole tin foil wrapped thing into the pan at the end just changed my whole shit up. God bless you kenji
When i went to trades school, we had a culinary school on the same campus, and the folks who ran the breakfast service did the yolk pop to make them nice and clean to eat as well, if you asked them really nicely they'd give you a jammy yolk.
I like your new look. My breakfast sandwich is, toasted Dave’s seed bread, Duke’s mayo, sliced avocado, crispy Costco bacon( hickory smoked),two over easy eggs topped with American cheese and chili crisp. I usually break one yolk to let it firm up a little. I love the way the yolk and chili crisp drip out so you can wipe it up with the rest of the sandwich. Jay
Glad to see the foil wrapping make it into the instructions! For me the final step in making a breskfast sandwich is wrapping it in foil that way and letting it sit for 1-3 minutes. Something about the way all the captured steam works into the muffen and gives it an almost bao like texture, and lets the american cheese turn into super stretchy goo.
Never going to wrap a sandwich made to eat at home. its wasteful on so many fronts. i'd sooner pop it in the microwave for 15 seconds with a bowl on top.
1:15 I use smaller cast iron pans sometimes, so I don't have to buy new stuff. That being said: at one point I bought a 4" cast iron pan that can do a nice single/double/triple fried egg which I simply leave on the stovetop and use as my utensil caddy.
Muffins last forever. McDonalds puts cheese on the bottom so that the juices from the ham run into the egg and so the cheese doesn’t cover up the egg. Their “Burger University” puts great emphasis on how the order of items in a sandwich stack affects the flavor when you bite into it. It’s a fascinating exploration you might actually enjoy looking into. It’s not just operational in this case, there’s some sandwich construction science that goes into it as well. Cheers.
Muffin lasts forever: The only concern I have with the masjon jar hack is that the rubber might not be rated for high direct heat. It could possibly be off gassing some chemicals into your food; aka you are eating trace amounts of rubber. Maybe this is a good avenue to make a custom product and selling it that just uses 100% food grade steel instead ? Or just the major jar sides without the lid? Or even a silicone (food grade high heat) egg mould
Thank you for suggesting the mason jar lid idea! Brilliant! I try using silicone and stainless steel molds but the eggs always leak through the cracks making a mess! This worked perfectly! Way better than molds!
Loving everything you’ve people done with the boat interior, fits your mood and atmosphere so well! Are you living on the boat, or is it a free time home?
The key to getting the cheese to melt well is to time it so that all ingredients are hot out of the pan at the same time. I prefer the sausage egg mcmuffin sandwich. I put the cheese between the muffin and the patty and it melts perfectly every single time. I know it is tempting to use the bacon fat but honestly, butter does work better for the eggs. I toast the muffins, cook the eggs and the sausage at the same time just like we did at McDonalds. Also, after the muffin is done toasting, we put melted butter on both the top and bottom. I know it isn't healthy but damn!!, it is wonderful!
Muffin last forever , I vividly remember my manager at McDonald’s when I was 16 years old tell me why the cheese goes on the bottom, it’s so when you bite down the cheese, it doesn’t get stuck on the top of the roof of your mouth. I remember it so fondly because The Man was literally Mr. McDonald’s, he went to hamburger university😂
I made breakfast sandwiches often. Two suggestions to streamline the operation: 1) Fry the eggs in a pan without the mason jar lid but simply use a spatula to shape the egg into a circle while it cooks, 2) Melt the cheese by placing onto your meat while in the pan and cover for 15-30 seconds until melted.
Thanks for the tip about the Mason jar rings. OMG! Life-changing. I've been debating buying ring molds for various things but I don't want extra crap in my kitchen. As a result, I haven't made all the things I want to make with ring molds lol. Thank you so much! I hate uni taskers
Muffin lasts forever - Kenji, what are your thoughts on metal utensils on non-stick? All my life I have been told to never use metal on non stick because it will scratch the surface which can then get into the food. Here you're using metal tongs, a fork and sliding the foil around in the pan. Does this just come down to the quality of the non stick? Or is it not as big of a deal as I thought? Cheers!
@@josecamargo4289 i noticed that and cringed a bit. Especially the foil sliding around. The tongs and fork seemed to be used carefully not to scrape the surface but the foil literally dragged on it.
That looks like a tasty sandwich. However, one element of the McDonald's sandwich I'd want to replicate are the small bits of charred muffin that come from however they're toasting the muffins. I don't have them very often, but when I do, that's one of the aspects I enjoy about the sandwich.
When I’m on a breakfast sandwich kick, I cook up a lot of bacon and freeze it. I make the sandwiches and freeze them - just pull one out of the freezer and heat. Or I cook my egg on a little Dash skillet, add cheese, bacon on a muffin/roll/biscuit.
I like to use my cast iron skillet. I toast the english muffins with butter in the skillet (split, insides down, no flipping), held down with a light pan to make sure all the crevices get some butter and heat. Then I cook a farm fresh egg from my coop, i add a little water and cover to steam the top. I hit it with a dash of Montreal steak seasoning. Yolk is usually still gooey. american cheese on top, finish with Tapatio. So good.
I have adopted your method after I saw your Serious Eats article on this several years ago. The crispy chewy grilled english muffin texture has ruined McMuffin's for me. I just get biscuit sandwiches at McDonald's now. Don't always use foil but make sure the cheese melts. One other thing I've done is that sometimes the cheese slice is too big for the muffin and I don't want it wasted in the wrapper/foil so I tear off maybe 1/4-1/3 on one end, then tear that in half and use the smaller pieces as glue between each sandwich topping layer and base. McMuffin layer stabilization. Thanks for all you do Kenji.
Wrap these in wax or parchment paper before the foil and they freeze well. Remove foil then 90 seconds in the microwave on high and you're in business.
Only thing missing from a McD muffin is a pastry brush of butter on the muffin. Always was a restaurant pan with blocks of butter sitting on the grill (in the olden days circa 1977). Heating the butter slowly enough it would end up being like ghee as the water evaporated.
@@AlergicToSnow Yeah they really cranked up the price on their breakfast menu. It wasn't so bad when they did the Pick 2 for $3 a couple years ago with sausage mcmuffin+egg or bacon+egg+cheese biscuits
First time I've seen U come up on my feed in a while even tho I'm subscribed! New kitchen new everything looks like I have a lot of catch up on. You look well! Oh and muffins last forever!
Muffin lasts forever: great video, thanks. I often put the cheese on the bottom because it can start melting on the toasted bread. Then you drop the hot egg on and it’s perfection without having to wrap and heat more. Works great when you’re in a hurry.
Looks great! I make mine using a galvanized pineapple can that I opened both ends of. Personally, I like the top and bottom of the egg browned, ham with the bacon, then I use heat from the egg to melt the cheese. I like the cheese between the meat and egg also to glue it together. After I make it, I wrap it in wax paper and just let the heat spread for a minute or two. Very tasty! 😋
The aesthetics of the kitchen, the colour palette of the apron with the nails and shirt, and the soothing instruction -- what a delightful comfort watch! Thanks Kenji
Kenji - I love microwaved bacon, new level of crispiness. Learned with my mother in law. Only downside is cleaning the microwave after, even covering it with paper-towel
Kenji toasted his muffins in bacon fat, but one thing I found making McMuffins at home is that you really need buttered/margarined muffins for it to taste right. I prefer sausage over bacon, though. One odd thing is that McGriddles use a folded egg instead of the ‘puck’ egg and they don’t let you sub one for the other on the app or kiosk. Don’t know if you can request it at the register/drive-thru.
Muffin lasts forever: yah, I totally winced when you decided to put that synthetic coated metal/rubber ring lid on your super high BTU range and put an egg in it. These materials are certainly intended to be exposed to heat in the canning process (in fact, it's essential) but the food contact there is minimal. I dunno, science, look into it? The interwebs are absolutely larded with stuff on PFAS (from rainjackets, fast-food wraps, and, um, coated cookware) and health issues related to toxins leaching into food. This kind of thing is really your jam so maybe you can settle the hash on this matter. BTW I use your wok book all the time and very much appreciate your content. Thanks!
I love the non-gopro videos, and your teaching style is so charming! My only comment is the chaotic evil of metal utensils in the nonstick. I know it's probably ok, but I can't handle it
Every time I hear the name "Dietz and Watson" I'm transported back to my youthful experience of eating a foot-long hot dog at a Flyers/Phillies/Sixers game.
i've made egg mcmuffins at home before but used canadian bacon and they turn out amazing every time. Once in a while i just get a craving for them. I'll have to try it with regular bacon one of these days.
muffins last forever - I make a version of this quite often. I came up with a method that is fast with minimal mess. I toast my muffins with the bagel setting, only inside toasted. I use deli ham sliced thin and crisped in my air fryer with aluminum foil underneath. The egg is cooked in the microwave in a silicone mold, yolk broken, salt pepper. I cook all these at the same time. They all take about 2 min. Then I build everything while each component is still hot which melts the cheese. The only thing that needs washing is the silicone mold which is quick and easy.
Thoughts on making a bunch of these ahead of time and sticking them in the freezer? Skip the heating step after wrapping, put in freezer, and then when you’re ready reheat them on the stove or unwrap and microwave?
When I moved out of my college dorm into my first house/job, I used to do this monthly. I'd make about 24 in one sitting, with sheet pan eggs (literally a full pan) and the rest the same as above, and do exactly what you're saying. Only difference is I froze them in foil and baked em each morning in the oven. Was a nice routine to wake up, preheat the oven and throw it in right away, and come back 25 mins later to a perfectly warm mcmuffin. Highly recommend! Probably even easier with smaller air friers and such these days.
McDonald’s is not known for their fine food, but to this day I love their breakfast sandwiches…. I’ve had 1000s of egg McMuffins in my life, as a child, and before work as an adult. But recently to save money, I order a sausage and cheese McMuffin and a coffee, and bring in a boiled peeled egg to eat together., 1/2 price win😂
I have raised hens my whole life. Started showing them in 4-H as a child. I believe a better fed hen produces a richer yolk with a mild white that isn't fishy or too eggy tasting. I'm always more worried about how she was treated over the color of the shell or yolk. AND THANK YOU for mentioning the popped yolk in this style of breakfast sandwich! 100% agree. On a big ol burger, make it runny and messy as you like! lol
Muffin lasts forever: mason jar lids are made to be used in “canning” which means they’re subjected to 250°F for hours. That’s probably the safest utensil you have in the kitchen.
I was a work-lunch kid. Work, get free lunch. We used to put hot stuff that we just made in the back. The infrared lights would warm the sandwiches, so the front ones more warm than the back. After a while the cheese all melt.
Muffin lasts forever: I'm not qualified to say for sure if the mason jar lids would be harmful or not, but before watching this video I have used mini cake pans (4-inch diameter) to make round eggs. I tried ring molds before but egg always leaked out around the sides, so I decided I'd try a completely closed mold and see if it would work. It DID require me to spray them liberally with nonstick spray to get the eggs out but the results were well worth it, and I think bacon grease would do the same job!
Mason jar lids look like you might lose to much egg even if you brush them. I use silicon rings and a hot pan. Silicon is flexible enough to bend slightly with the pan if your pan is uneven and the excess heat helps set the egg quickly so none of it sneaks under the silicon ring. Once the base is set on the eggs, reduce the heat.
I never thought of heating them in foil on a pan! Seems like a great make-ahead recipe for camping if it would work to heat them from fridge/cooler temp in this manner.
McDonald’s puts the cheese on the muffin not just for efficiency. The cheese melts onto the muffin and helps hold the sandwich together. Either way you assemble it, you have hot ingredients next to the cheese and melting it. I like the canning lid idea. Makes it easier to release the egg from the mold. A tablespoon of mayo takes it to the next level.
Damn. It's good to see I'm on the right track with the brekkie sangs I make up for my kids. Only difference is that I'll fry up sausage rounds and use a teflon ring to crack my egg into.
I've taken to describing American cheese as a triple-thick cheese sauce. So thick you can make blocks out of it, sure. But it's just cheese sauce. Seems to make people feel better about eating it.
3:16 fun fact: original pea-meal bacon did use actual pea meal. that is: a course ground flour made from dried peas (of some variety. i kinda forget, lol). i think you can still get it, authentic pea-meal bacon. it's just really hard to come by. i really have no idea why Canadian Bacon is called "Canadian" Bacon, when most of the bacon we eat in Canada is belly bacon. i think in Canada, we sometimes call back bacon "rashers". although you'd have to be really committed to the bit to call it that
What I LOVE about these videos is how Kenji is so obviously a chef in subtle ways. Other RUclips "chefs" make good meals and videos, but the way Kenji can't let a single moment pass just standing in the kitchen. Every spare moment is cleaning, wiping down, checking the work space.
Your ability to never get tired of re-explaining things like the benefits of american cheese is a clear sign you're an excellent teacher. Props to you man, thanks for all the years of educating us.
Educating and entertaining -- a hard combination to accomplish, but Kenji does it!
I love deli American cheese. It's hard to find at the places I shop though.
I also appreciate his ability to explain fundamentals. That being said, I don’t care what the justification is for using american cheese. Maybe I have some tastebud abnormality, but I cannot enjoy american cheese. There is no melty texture worth it.
I love Kenji but it often feel like he’s just doing the same recipies or explaining the same techniques over and over again.
I have had people say velveeta cheese is fake. It's a blend of multiple cheeses and milk based inputs. They use canola oil in it instead of milk fat as the fat source, so its got the lowest saturated fat out of any american cheese. Compare the saturated fat of a kraft single to a velveeta slice. The lower one is the healthier choice. Also consider the Mediterranean diet relies on olive oil that is 2g saturated fat per serving. Canola oil is 1g saturated fat per serving. It's healthier cheese, not fake cheese.
I like it when Kenji distracts himself with his own immense knowledge of food and goes down rabbit holes to correct himself (e.g. American v Canadian bacon). We love you Kenji!!!❤
Never thought I'd learn so much from a breakfast sandwich vid. You're the man Kenji. Stay wholesome!
muffin last forever - i think if you keep the temp low-ish there won't be any chemicals leeching out. Those lids are made for canning which gets to 250 deg-F, so should be fine?
Since water goes into the pan for the steam, the temp in the pan is not going to get above 212F as long as there is any water in there.
@@rickportune2753 The egg is mostly water too - and will set up well under 212F
Correct! Teflon/PTFE starts to offgas at 500F (260C) - as long as you're not putting it in your oven or searing it over max heat, you are probably fine!
@@rickportune2753 Incorrect: steam can be heated far above 212 (and is, for industrial heating systems).
Edit: under pressure. But the surface of the pan can exceed 212 while water is still in it.
"Cosmic oneness" - this is so true, and it especially applies terms of late night takeaway kebabs/gyros/etc.
Muffin lasts forever: I'm sure the canning lid insert is doing you no favors health wise, but at a minimum it's another thing to wash. McDonald's just uses rings and contained steam. So, to duplicate their method, you can do everything you've already been doing and just leave out the sealing ring. Source: I'm a former McDonald's line cook. :-)
So many people cook their bacon too hot! Thanks for pointing that out. Now I just need to get my mom to watch this video. McDonald's is a medium heat as well for bacon consistency.
Simply using the rings, pouring a half ounce of water in and lidding the pan will steam the eggs just fine. I do this every Saturday morning. ;)
I'm not a purist but the lid part of the mason jar top did make me wince. OTOH, mason jars are meant to take hot ingredients and then be sterilized in boiling water so the rubber and whatever-it-is finish on the inside of the top may be heat safe.
@@TamarLitvot exactly! and the water keeps it from getting too hot. You don't have to worry until all of the water steams off
@TamarLitvot so you really think hot ingredients, often with oil or vinegar, INSIDE with direct contact to the rubber...and then stored for month is somehow better?
Or do you think the liquid will bever be in contact with it when you put on the lid? Because damn I have some bridges to sell you then.
@@TamarLitvot Heat safe for short term application of 212f water... the bottom of a pan can hit 350 in a heartbeat.
hey I love the new format and all, but could you also keep doing the GoPro method too? love the immersive experience and also in a few of your recent videos I can’t see the pan/ the food you’re working on at all due to camera angles. Either way thanks for everything you do, I love learning from you!
Agreed. I do miss the GoPro angles.
I love the GoPro too! I think both angles are nice, this one definitely gives “Cooking Show” vibes, and isn’t nearly as distracting as the go pro.
There is just something special about stepping into the PoV of someone who moves through a kitchen as effortlessly as most breathe.
Yes please!
+1 for the GoPro videos, there was something special about them that's missing from the new format.
this new format just turns his content into the same sterilized style product a lot of other youtube cooks have. kinda boring honestly.
Canadian here (Toronto), and FWIW I/we would never use the phrase "streaky bacon" - it's just bacon. I've only ever heard "streaky bacon" from British relatives.
Also Canadian: I agree. Streaky bacon seems like exceedingly British phrasing to me.
Same story over here in Vancouver, and I can confirm, the same is also true on the prairies. Maybe some of those Newfies are calling it streaky bacon lol
As an Ontarian with Newfie parents I can confirm it’s just bacon. Lol
Yeah, lifelong Albertan other than a three year stint in Victoria. Definitely not a term we use here. My girlfriend grew up between Vancouver and Saskatchewan, she's never heard anyone in either place use it.
I've heard a Vancouverite friend of mine call it streaky bacon, but his grandparents were about as English as one can get, and he went to Cambridge, so I'd tend to attribute it to those influences.
In my experience, bacon as a disambiguation always meant pork belly, while loin bacon was "back bacon". Only time I ever saw back bacon growing up was my dad's english breakfasts or eggs benedict.
@@willdabeastIam Just bacon in Newfoundland too haha! I always laugh at the "Canadian bacon" name (which I appreciate Kenji mentioning in another vid is slightly different than our peameal bacon) that makes people think we have other names for regular ass bacon LOL
The cheese on the bottom is so that the sandwich travels well: a barrier against moisture making the bottom half soggy over time spent transporting the sandwich. This is used in other sandwiches that are to-go, most notably a Reuben which would literally fall apart. A to-go Reuben should have cheese on both slices with the sauerkraut AND 1000 Island dressing between equal portions of corned beef
Neat! Never thought about that.
Nice tip. Thanks!
@@donscott6431 If I may, I'd like to take your comment a step further... I always thought that having the cheese on the bottom would make sure the cheese would remain inside the sandwich. The English muffin would hang onto the cheese. If it were placed between the egg and Canadian bacon or a sausage patty, the cheese would ooze into the wrapper.
Every to-go Ruben I've ever bought had the dressing in a plastic cup and I had to put it on myself when ready to eat it.
@@JoeBeardsley That's a good point. I go so far as to fold the corners of the cheese inside. Part of the "show" of a fast food restaurant muffin or burger is the cheese all over the paper, but I prefer mine inside when possible.
My husband makes me One of These using This exact me This when I have an extra busy day ahead of me at work. I always feel so loved when I hear the wrapper in my work bag and know I have breakfast made for me. 😊 I think breakfast sandwiches might be a love language.
Love the title... and more work too! 😆
Yes... cooking at home is more work than going out or grabbing something from a drive-thru ... but being able to control the ingredients and cost these days is of utmost importance... love your channel and videos and outlook on food Sir 😊💙
is it just me or is the title a subtle jab at those Josh Weissman style "But Better" videos where he unironically starts by buying a $500 home grain mill and making his own flour to make homemade english muffins (no, seriously, he actually did this)
Sausage McMuffin with Egg is one of America’s greatest inventions.
@@DavidFobare YAAASSSSS
@@DavidFobare truly the pinnacle of american ingenuity
@@DavidFobare you never had a mcgriddle?
@@DavidFobare it’s hard to argue with such flawless logic
@@MrNathancast McGriddle is too much. It's just too much. Sausage EMM is the best.
For the eggs, I use Crumpet rings, brushed with melted butter or sprayed with Pam. I start by preheating the rings for a minute or so, then I crack an egg into a ring, using the eggshell halves to "scissor" the egg and yolk as they fall into the ring. I put an ice cube into the pan, and then cover with a lid. After the egg is set, I uncover the pan and flip the egg after removing the ring. This does result in some browning of the egg, which might not be ideal for everyone.
When busy, like on a workday, I like to scramble an egg in a buttered 1cup pyrex and then microwave it. You have to pause and whisk a few times. Takes about 1 minute, then put the american cheese on and optionally microwave a little more or just let the heat from the egg melt it. Then onto an english muffin with bacon (if pre-cooked), or a sausage patty (which can be microwaved at the same time as the egg), or some deli ham. A related alternative is to tear up the ham and cheese and mix them into the egg and nuke the whole thing.
Muffin lasts forever: I love that you pointed out that American cheese is just cheese with emulsifiers. I love Adam Ragusea's video where he makes his own sodium citrate and NileRed's video where he makes his own cheese singles. Regarding the mason jar lids, honestly if it's good enough for my hot pickle brine then it's good enough for eggs. With all of the stuff we encounter in the modern day, I thinking mason jar lids are really the least of our worries.
Thank you so much for sharing this video, I love breakfast sandwiches and learned a few great techniques from this video that I will definitely try at home.
This is probably my favorite so far in this new format! Great video!
Kenji! Your new set looks so cozy and nice, and you've got the lighting NAILED! The overhead cam does a good job of emulating the GoPro as well - I really enjoy seeing that view so I know what to look for when I'm cooking at home.
I'm fairly certain that's the same kitchen he always uses, just we're seeing it from a different angle. Totally threw me off, as did the hair cut!
I used to use the mason jar lids to make the eggs, but they get really hard to clean. I bought the silicone rings from Lodge that have heat resistant handles. They are great.
12:10 I love that even an expert like Kenji still has that thing where you have to touch everything surrounding to remind you of what you're doing. I do it all the time but now I don't feel so bad about it
Muffins last forever :-)
In my *extensive* experience (this is one of my favorite things to cook) trying to recreate the bodega tin foil cheese meld/sandwich melt at home, it is crucial to toast the bread in the toaster or on the pan immediately before constructing the sandwich and wrapping it up immediately so that heat/steam from the bread is enough to melt the cheese. It’s always been a delicately timed endeavor for me but you just putting the whole tin foil wrapped thing into the pan at the end just changed my whole shit up. God bless you kenji
When i went to trades school, we had a culinary school on the same campus, and the folks who ran the breakfast service did the yolk pop to make them nice and clean to eat as well, if you asked them really nicely they'd give you a jammy yolk.
muffin last's forever - I'm stealing your mason jar lid way of making 'round eggs'. Once again you've revolutionized my cooking.
I like your new look. My breakfast sandwich is, toasted Dave’s seed bread, Duke’s mayo, sliced avocado, crispy Costco bacon( hickory smoked),two over easy eggs topped with American cheese and chili crisp. I usually break one yolk to let it firm up a little. I love the way the yolk and chili crisp drip out so you can wipe it up with the rest of the sandwich. Jay
@@jayandry3392 oh gawd, makin’ me hungry!!!
That new look looks like a midlife crisis and giving divorced dad vibes.
@@60Airflyte That reads as insecure on your part
@@grawdey LOL Nice try. 🤣
Glad to see the foil wrapping make it into the instructions! For me the final step in making a breskfast sandwich is wrapping it in foil that way and letting it sit for 1-3 minutes. Something about the way all the captured steam works into the muffen and gives it an almost bao like texture, and lets the american cheese turn into super stretchy goo.
"bao like texture" -- good description!
Never going to wrap a sandwich made to eat at home. its wasteful on so many fronts. i'd sooner pop it in the microwave for 15 seconds with a bowl on top.
@@etgshado4689 I had trouble with that also. OTOH, I wash foil and reuse, so I could do this and then use the foil a number of times more.
I put it Tupperware. Less wasteful and works just as well.
@@etgshado4689 It's not wasteful if it makes a more enjoyable product.
1:15 I use smaller cast iron pans sometimes, so I don't have to buy new stuff.
That being said: at one point I bought a 4" cast iron pan that can do a nice single/double/triple fried egg which I simply leave on the stovetop and use as my utensil caddy.
I love the voice. Could listen to you all day.
The "And More Work, Too!" made me laugh, love the way these are wrapped and heated up, brilliant!
Muffins last forever. McDonalds puts cheese on the bottom so that the juices from the ham run into the egg and so the cheese doesn’t cover up the egg. Their “Burger University” puts great emphasis on how the order of items in a sandwich stack affects the flavor when you bite into it. It’s a fascinating exploration you might actually enjoy looking into. It’s not just operational in this case, there’s some sandwich construction science that goes into it as well. Cheers.
Muffin lasts forever:
The only concern I have with the masjon jar hack is that the rubber might not be rated for high direct heat. It could possibly be off gassing some chemicals into your food; aka you are eating trace amounts of rubber.
Maybe this is a good avenue to make a custom product and selling it that just uses 100% food grade steel instead ? Or just the major jar sides without the lid? Or even a silicone (food grade high heat) egg mould
@BeansEnjoyer911 by adding the water, the lids are protected from overheating.
Whenever I watch Kenji’s videos, I come away a better cook and I always learn something. I never knew what American cheese was!
Thank you for suggesting the mason jar lid idea! Brilliant! I try using silicone and stainless steel molds but the eggs always leak through the cracks making a mess! This worked perfectly! Way better than molds!
Loving everything you’ve people done with the boat interior, fits your mood and atmosphere so well! Are you living on the boat, or is it a free time home?
The key to getting the cheese to melt well is to time it so that all ingredients are hot out of the pan at the same time. I prefer the sausage egg mcmuffin sandwich. I put the cheese between the muffin and the patty and it melts perfectly every single time. I know it is tempting to use the bacon fat but honestly, butter does work better for the eggs. I toast the muffins, cook the eggs and the sausage at the same time just like we did at McDonalds. Also, after the muffin is done toasting, we put melted butter on both the top and bottom. I know it isn't healthy but damn!!, it is wonderful!
this looks fun to try :D also I love your nail polish in this episode!
Muffin last forever , I vividly remember my manager at McDonald’s when I was 16 years old tell me why the cheese goes on the bottom, it’s so when you bite down the cheese, it doesn’t get stuck on the top of the roof of your mouth. I remember it so fondly because The Man was literally Mr. McDonald’s, he went to hamburger university😂
Love your apron and shirt today! Thanks for the informative video!
I made breakfast sandwiches often. Two suggestions to streamline the operation: 1) Fry the eggs in a pan without the mason jar lid but simply use a spatula to shape the egg into a circle while it cooks, 2) Melt the cheese by placing onto your meat while in the pan and cover for 15-30 seconds until melted.
Thanks for the tip about the Mason jar rings. OMG! Life-changing. I've been debating buying ring molds for various things but I don't want extra crap in my kitchen. As a result, I haven't made all the things I want to make with ring molds lol. Thank you so much! I hate uni taskers
Muffin lasts forever - Kenji, what are your thoughts on metal utensils on non-stick? All my life I have been told to never use metal on non stick because it will scratch the surface which can then get into the food. Here you're using metal tongs, a fork and sliding the foil around in the pan. Does this just come down to the quality of the non stick? Or is it not as big of a deal as I thought? Cheers!
@@josecamargo4289 i noticed that and cringed a bit. Especially the foil sliding around. The tongs and fork seemed to be used carefully not to scrape the surface but the foil literally dragged on it.
That looks like a tasty sandwich. However, one element of the McDonald's sandwich I'd want to replicate are the small bits of charred muffin that come from however they're toasting the muffins. I don't have them very often, but when I do, that's one of the aspects I enjoy about the sandwich.
This is one of the best bits for sure! But how can we be sure you watched the video?
@@LoMoNoCrAt what
If you have a toaster oven, run the toast cycle with the rack in the highest position and you’ll get pretty close!
@@wickedwaki he didn't use the code phrase
When I’m on a breakfast sandwich kick, I cook up a lot of bacon and freeze it. I make the sandwiches and freeze them - just pull one out of the freezer and heat. Or I cook my egg on a little Dash skillet, add cheese, bacon on a muffin/roll/biscuit.
Chef Slowik : "American cheese is the best cheese for a cheeseburger because it melts without splitting."
Great movie!
I like to use my cast iron skillet. I toast the english muffins with butter in the skillet (split, insides down, no flipping), held down with a light pan to make sure all the crevices get some butter and heat. Then I cook a farm fresh egg from my coop, i add a little water and cover to steam the top. I hit it with a dash of Montreal steak seasoning. Yolk is usually still gooey. american cheese on top, finish with Tapatio. So good.
I have adopted your method after I saw your Serious Eats article on this several years ago. The crispy chewy grilled english muffin texture has ruined McMuffin's for me. I just get biscuit sandwiches at McDonald's now. Don't always use foil but make sure the cheese melts. One other thing I've done is that sometimes the cheese slice is too big for the muffin and I don't want it wasted in the wrapper/foil so I tear off maybe 1/4-1/3 on one end, then tear that in half and use the smaller pieces as glue between each sandwich topping layer and base. McMuffin layer stabilization. Thanks for all you do Kenji.
Wrap these in wax or parchment paper before the foil and they freeze well. Remove foil then 90 seconds in the microwave on high and you're in business.
How did this come at the exact right moment! Just about to make some breakfast sandwiches tonight 😋
Only thing missing from a McD muffin is a pastry brush of butter on the muffin. Always was a restaurant pan with blocks of butter sitting on the grill (in the olden days circa 1977). Heating the butter slowly enough it would end up being like ghee as the water evaporated.
I miss McDonalds' all day breakfast menu. That was the one thing that made me actually want to go there during the day.
Yeah. They had that for a month or two lol. It didn't last long! Jack in the box has all day breakfast and I prefer it anyway!
If I roll up on a McDonalds and don't see the breakfast menu in the drive through I don't even bother stopping, I'll go somewhere else.
@@WKelly42 Canada has kept a limited all-day breakfast menu, after a short trial of a proper, full all-day menu. If you're ever north of the border.
Too expensive. I’ll make my own thanks.
@@AlergicToSnow Yeah they really cranked up the price on their breakfast menu. It wasn't so bad when they did the Pick 2 for $3 a couple years ago with sausage mcmuffin+egg or bacon+egg+cheese biscuits
I love Kenji's puns. Breaking eggs is always a whisk and muffin lasts for ever! 😂
haven't watched for a while - looking trim Kenji! great video as always.
First time I've seen U come up on my feed in a while even tho I'm subscribed! New kitchen new everything looks like I have a lot of catch up on. You look well! Oh and muffins last forever!
Muffin lasts forever: not complaining, just here to say Kenji lookin chiseled lately. Respect on staying healthy while making incredible food ✌🏻
I've never heard "streaky bacon" in Canada. We just call it Bacon, and we call Canadian Bacon "Back Bacon" or "Ham"
You have the same exact energy I do when teaching! I even bring my cat into the mix when she's bothering me!! Thanks for being you, Kenji.
Muffin lasts forever: great video, thanks. I often put the cheese on the bottom because it can start melting on the toasted bread. Then you drop the hot egg on and it’s perfection without having to wrap and heat more. Works great when you’re in a hurry.
i really enjoy listening and learning the cooking "why's" and "how's" in your videos. you're like the millennial version of Alton Brown.
Love the pup. He's definitely in charge.
I love breakfast sandwiches! This was great. (I was worried the burner was about to fall off the board though, too much suspense there for me!😅)
Looks great! I make mine using a galvanized pineapple can that I opened both ends of. Personally, I like the top and bottom of the egg browned, ham with the bacon, then I use heat from the egg to melt the cheese. I like the cheese between the meat and egg also to glue it together. After I make it, I wrap it in wax paper and just let the heat spread for a minute or two. Very tasty! 😋
I appreciate the how along with the why.
The aesthetics of the kitchen, the colour palette of the apron with the nails and shirt, and the soothing instruction -- what a delightful comfort watch! Thanks Kenji
I noticed too 😊
I hate his nails but love his cooking
@@nicholasbrunori281 why? they're not your nails.
@@nicholasbrunori281 Why on earth would you use a word as strong as “hate” about his nails?
The foil is also key to a great homemade burrito. It softens the tortilla.
The asbestos fingers really coming in clutch handling those metal rings for the eggs! I'd have burnt myself a million times haha
I cook round eggs in a biscuit cutter. Since they usually come as a set you have a variety of different sizes to use to match the bun or muffin.
Been looking real good Kenji!
So happy with your new format! The GoPro vantage point made me dizzy sometimes.
I love the new end video frame :) i found the old one a little too busy, both sonically and visually. Cheers to onwards and upwards!
Kenji - I love microwaved bacon, new level of crispiness. Learned with my mother in law. Only downside is cleaning the microwave after, even covering it with paper-towel
Completely unrelated to the sandwiches, but I love your nails! The pink and yellow combo looks great!
Kenji toasted his muffins in bacon fat, but one thing I found making McMuffins at home is that you really need buttered/margarined muffins for it to taste right. I prefer sausage over bacon, though. One odd thing is that McGriddles use a folded egg instead of the ‘puck’ egg and they don’t let you sub one for the other on the app or kiosk. Don’t know if you can request it at the register/drive-thru.
Muffin lasts forever: yah, I totally winced when you decided to put that synthetic coated metal/rubber ring lid on your super high BTU range and put an egg in it. These materials are certainly intended to be exposed to heat in the canning process (in fact, it's essential) but the food contact there is minimal. I dunno, science, look into it? The interwebs are absolutely larded with stuff on PFAS (from rainjackets, fast-food wraps, and, um, coated cookware) and health issues related to toxins leaching into food. This kind of thing is really your jam so maybe you can settle the hash on this matter. BTW I use your wok book all the time and very much appreciate your content. Thanks!
Did I see "Juanita/Juantonios" tortilla chips in your pantry?! A true man of refined taste.
Oregon represent!
Its like the only good tortilla chip option here and its nowhere near as good as some options in other southwestern states ive lived in 🙃
@@argaen21 Well, that just like your opinion...man.
I love the non-gopro videos, and your teaching style is so charming! My only comment is the chaotic evil of metal utensils in the nonstick. I know it's probably ok, but I can't handle it
Every time I hear the name "Dietz and Watson" I'm transported back to my youthful experience of eating a foot-long hot dog at a Flyers/Phillies/Sixers game.
Glad you made this. I’ve been protesting McDonald’s since finding out of their funding of IDF.
i've made egg mcmuffins at home before but used canadian bacon and they turn out amazing every time. Once in a while i just get a craving for them. I'll have to try it with regular bacon one of these days.
R.I.P. Shabu and Jamon. Chen is holding it down.
muffins last forever - I make a version of this quite often. I came up with a method that is fast with minimal mess. I toast my muffins with the bagel setting, only inside toasted. I use deli ham sliced thin and crisped in my air fryer with aluminum foil underneath. The egg is cooked in the microwave in a silicone mold, yolk broken, salt pepper. I cook all these at the same time. They all take about 2 min. Then I build everything while each component is still hot which melts the cheese. The only thing that needs washing is the silicone mold which is quick and easy.
Thoughts on making a bunch of these ahead of time and sticking them in the freezer? Skip the heating step after wrapping, put in freezer, and then when you’re ready reheat them on the stove or unwrap and microwave?
When I moved out of my college dorm into my first house/job, I used to do this monthly. I'd make about 24 in one sitting, with sheet pan eggs (literally a full pan) and the rest the same as above, and do exactly what you're saying. Only difference is I froze them in foil and baked em each morning in the oven. Was a nice routine to wake up, preheat the oven and throw it in right away, and come back 25 mins later to a perfectly warm mcmuffin. Highly recommend! Probably even easier with smaller air friers and such these days.
Noticing the dog's "I want food" bark versus the "I don't like what's going on" bark was really funny!
McDonald’s is not known for their fine food, but to this day I love their breakfast sandwiches…. I’ve had 1000s of egg McMuffins in my life, as a child, and before work as an adult. But recently to save money, I order a sausage and cheese McMuffin and a coffee, and bring in a boiled peeled egg to eat together., 1/2 price win😂
I have raised hens my whole life. Started showing them in 4-H as a child. I believe a better fed hen produces a richer yolk with a mild white that isn't fishy or too eggy tasting. I'm always more worried about how she was treated over the color of the shell or yolk. AND THANK YOU for mentioning the popped yolk in this style of breakfast sandwich! 100% agree. On a big ol burger, make it runny and messy as you like! lol
Muffin lasts forever: mason jar lids are made to be used in “canning” which means they’re subjected to 250°F for hours. That’s probably the safest utensil you have in the kitchen.
I was a work-lunch kid. Work, get free lunch. We used to put hot stuff that we just made in the back. The infrared lights would warm the sandwiches, so the front ones more warm than the back. After a while the cheese all melt.
I’ve been making these for years. Instead of jar lids I use those silicon rings. (They make metal ones too)
Muffin lasts forever: I'm not qualified to say for sure if the mason jar lids would be harmful or not, but before watching this video I have used mini cake pans (4-inch diameter) to make round eggs. I tried ring molds before but egg always leaked out around the sides, so I decided I'd try a completely closed mold and see if it would work. It DID require me to spray them liberally with nonstick spray to get the eggs out but the results were well worth it, and I think bacon grease would do the same job!
Mason jar lids look like you might lose to much egg even if you brush them. I use silicon rings and a hot pan. Silicon is flexible enough to bend slightly with the pan if your pan is uneven and the excess heat helps set the egg quickly so none of it sneaks under the silicon ring. Once the base is set on the eggs, reduce the heat.
I never thought of heating them in foil on a pan! Seems like a great make-ahead recipe for camping if it would work to heat them from fridge/cooler temp in this manner.
Thank you for clarifying the american cheese nonsense. It bothers me when people call it fake cheese.
Thank you for elevating the youtube cooking form with the level of analysis and detail you go into! will be joining the Patreon when i can afford it!
McDonald’s puts the cheese on the muffin not just for efficiency. The cheese melts onto the muffin and helps hold the sandwich together.
Either way you assemble it, you have hot ingredients next to the cheese and melting it.
I like the canning lid idea. Makes it easier to release the egg from the mold.
A tablespoon of mayo takes it to the next level.
Muffin lasts forever. Love this technique! 👏👏
Damn. It's good to see I'm on the right track with the brekkie sangs I make up for my kids. Only difference is that I'll fry up sausage rounds and use a teflon ring to crack my egg into.
The yolk is a present from the world. To have it drip over your toast or samich is a bucket list thing. Let it goo.😊
Not to be dramatic but I would die for that dog
The Egg McMuffin with bacon is actually available to order at McDonalds. I will be making this for breakfast soon. Thanks for the video.
I've taken to describing American cheese as a triple-thick cheese sauce. So thick you can make blocks out of it, sure. But it's just cheese sauce. Seems to make people feel better about eating it.
One thing you forgot is the butter! McDonald's butters the toasted muffin, which really does make a difference. (It might be oleo, not sure)
3:16 fun fact: original pea-meal bacon did use actual pea meal. that is: a course ground flour made from dried peas (of some variety. i kinda forget, lol). i think you can still get it, authentic pea-meal bacon. it's just really hard to come by. i really have no idea why Canadian Bacon is called "Canadian" Bacon, when most of the bacon we eat in Canada is belly bacon. i think in Canada, we sometimes call back bacon "rashers". although you'd have to be really committed to the bit to call it that
Americans canadized canadian bacon in as much as french fries are not french.