Burger King has officially announced a new addition to its menu: the Jalapeno and Cheddar BK Stuffed Steakhouse Burger, which is a ground beef patty that's studded with bits of jalapeno peppers and Cheddar cheese and topped with creamy poblano sauce.
The arrival of the first stuffed burger in the quick service restaurant industry is truly a momentous occasion for fast food fans everywhere. No doubt it will be followed by other versions -- mushroom and Swiss, perhaps even bacon and American cheese -- as BK and its competitors try to capitalize on the trend. In fact, some industry insiders are calling 2011 the year of the stuffed burger.
Unfortunately, any and all excitement I've had about the new product has been dampened by an unrelated article I came across last week.
It's the story -- with corresponding photos -- of a massive beef fat spill that clogged the Houston Ship Channel.
Fifteen thousand gallons of fat leaked from an onshore storage tank into the water where it instantly thickened and "turned into a thick pattie." Workers from the U.S. Coast Guard and the Texas General Land Office spent last week cleaning it up, using pitchforks and fishnets to corral and lift the chunks out of the water.
Sounds absolutely vomitous, right? So what does the beef fat spill have to do with stuffed burgers at Burger King?
Well, not that much. Unless you are me (god help you), and you can't get the image of floating beef fat chunks out of your head. If you're grossed out by the sight of them in the water, then imagine them in our blood (okay, maybe don't do that if you want to keep lunch down)!
I'm all for enjoying the year of the stuffed burger in moderation. But let's keep these images in mind before things get out of control!
And in the meantime? Stay tuned for a review of BK's new stuffed burger...