DIY Food Kits: DIY ShackBurger Kit from Shake Shack (Plus My ShackBurger Creations!)
Shake Shack’s DIY ShackBurger Kit
The pandemic and the quarantine gave rise to new trends in the food industry. One of them is the do-it-yourself (DIY) food kits. Since many of us were locked down in our houses and encouraged not to go out as much as possible, food establishments began offering some of their items in DIY kits. New York burger chain Shake Shack began offering the DIY ShackBurger Kit, and ramen joint Mendokoro Ramenba, which is known for not allowing takeaway, came up with their Take Home Ramen Kit (they say that DIY kits are better than takeaway in retaining the ramen quality).
At first, I was hesitant of this trend for two reasons. First, I don’t want to ruin my food. The last thing I want is to have an amazing dish (like Mendokoro’s ramen) and mess it up. Second, I still believe that nothing beats the experience of eating the food in the establishment itself.
But times have changed and the industry has adapted. Food spots are doing their best to bring our favorite dishes to our homes so we can enjoy it without risking our health. So foodies, including myself, should begin to appreciate this trend. (Because of the quarantine, I was able to hone my chopping and cooking skills. So I’m now more confident of trying DIY food kits. Ruining the food is less likely to happen. LOL.)
Last month, I launched a series called DIY Food Kits. Hopefully, I’ll get to feature at least 1 food kit per month. This is the 2nd article in the series and I’m featuring my favorite US burger chain…so far. (Check out the first article on Your Local’s Beef Rendang Buns here.)
The Food Spot and Kit
That US burger chain is none other than Shake Shack!
Shake Shack started out as a hotdog cart in Madison Square Park, New York. In 2014, it moved to a permanent location within the park and has expanded its menu to include burgers and milkshakes, which are what the chain is now famously known for. Today, the former hotdog cart is now a public company and has been branching out across the States and also abroad. The first Southeast Asian branch opened at Jewel Changi Airport in Singapore on April 2019 (I really thought we’d beat Singapore into having a Shake Shack!). It reached the Philippine shores a month later.
Shake Shack Central Square on a weekday during community quarantine
More than a year after its Manila opening, in the middle of strict community quarantine measures, Shake Shack adapted and introduced its DIY ShackBurger Kit, which yields 8 ShackBurgers! Priced at P1600, it turns out that every burger is P50 cheaper.
The Ingredients and Instructions
The ingredients include the following: ShackBurger patties, non-GMO Martin’s Potato Rolls, cheddar cheese slices, lettuce, tomatoes, and Shake Shack’s signature ShackSauce. Although not part of a ShackBurger, the kit also comes with cherry peppers and a pickle spear.
Here are the instructions:
I didn’t make a step-by-step photoshoot of the cooking process. So just let your imagination work! LOL.
The Finished Product
I strictly followed the instructions and I’m glad it turned out well. The cheese is just to big for the surface area of the patty. LOL. Here’s how it looks:
My first DIY ShackBurger!
Like a ShackBurger bought and eaten at the Shake Shack premises, the DIY ShackBurger is amazing! In fact, I think it’s even better DIY because you can control the doneness and thickness of the patty. Mine was just bursting with juice!
I cooked and photographed my first DIY ShackBurger for 2 hours and slammed it in just a minute or two! LOL.
Bonus: My ShackBurger Creations!
With 8 burgers included in the kit, it will be absurd if I just prepare them all the same way. So I added my own creative touch and they all turned out amazing. Presenting my 3 ShackBurger masterpieces:
Aloha ShackBurger
This is paying homage to one of my favorite fastfood burgers. I just won’t mention the food chain because I want the focus on Shake Shack. This isn’t sponsored by them, by the way. LOL.
The additional ingredients include: A pineapple slice, bacon, and honey mustard.
This has got to be my favorite among all my creations. The juicy patty is nicely complimented with some fruitiness from the pineapple, saltiness and fattiness from the bacon, sweetness from the honey mustard, sharpness from the cheddar cheese, and crispness from the lettuce. It’s a world for flavors and textures!
Aloha ShackBurger
Mushroom Swiss ShackBurger
I was supposed to make a Bacon Mushroom ShackBurger. But my other 2 creations already have bacon in it. So I thought of doing Mushroom Swiss version.
The additional ingredients include: Swiss cheese, mushrooms, and caramelized white onions.
Compared to my Aloha ShackBurger, this burger has fewer textures. But it’s still good! The Swiss cheese gives a nice funk, the mushrooms were earthy and smooth, and the white onions give a nice crunch and sweetness.
Mushroom Swiss ShackBurger
Elvis ShackBurger
Among the three, this is probably the craziest. That’s why I placed it last so I’ll end with a bang! LOL.
But what is an Elvis anyway? An Elvis is a sandwich that’s filled with banana, peanut butter, and…drumroll…bacon! Then it’s pan-fried over butter. So it’s calories galore! (It’s believed that this is Elvis Presley’s favorite sandwich!)
Who would’ve thought that banana, peanut butter, and bacon would go very well with a burger? The bacon gives a nice crunch and saltiness, which contrasts with the banana and peanut butter’s softness/smoothness and sweetness.
The Elvis ShackBurger
SHAKE SHACK CENTRAL SQUARE
Address: G/F Central Square, 5th Ave. cor. 30th St., Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City
Operating Hours: Daily, 10AM-9PM
Contact Details: (02) 8255-3240
Shake Shack SM Megamall
Address: GL Mega Fashion Hall, SM Megamall, Epifanio de los Santos Ave. (EDSA) cor. Doña Julia Vargas Ave., Brgy. Wack-Wack Greenhills East, Mandaluyong City
Operating Hours: Monday-Thursday, 9AM-8PM | Friday-Sunday, 9AM-9PM
Contact Details: (02) 8362-1450
Other articles in DIY Food Kits series: Beef Rendang Buns from Your Local