Black Bear Casino Resort smashed the Guinness World Record for largest hamburger on Sunday, Sept. 1, with a bacon cheeseburger weighing more than a ton.
The behemoth burger was 10 feet in diameter and weighed 2,014 pounds, breaking the previous record of 881 pounds 13 ounces in the biggest burger one-off event category. More than 60 pounds of bacon, 50 pounds of lettuce, 50 pounds of sliced onions, 40 pounds of pickles and 40 pounds of American cheese topped off the burger.
"I'm very proud of everyone involved in setting this record," Black Bear Casino Resort Executive Chef Gerald Bayerl said. "Countless hours and incredible ingenuity went in to accomplishing this enormous accomplishment. This is another example of how the Bear is unique, entertaining and always unexpected."
A giant outdoor oven equipped with four propane-fueled torches traditionally used for weed burning was specially engineered and constructed to cook the bun and burger. Steel skillets spanning 15 feet were also constructed, and a crane was used to hoist and flip the giant burger and bun during the cooking and assembly process.
The burger was served to spectators and guests free of charge at the Big Burger Bash event outside of the Otter Creek Event Center's east entrance at Black Bear Casino Resort. The event included live entertainment from the Jimmy Buffet tribute band "Son of a Sailor."
"I was just totally impressed with the whole thing. It was amazing," said Pat Hendrickson, event participant from Twig, Minn. "And the burger is great. The seasoning is great. Everything is good on it."
Philip Robertson, adjudicator from Guinness World Records, was flown in especially for this event to verify the world record.
"I get the privilege of seeing amazing things every week," Robertson said. "What I saw today was a feat of remarkable teamwork that resulted in a world record burger that actually tastes really good."
The burger took close to four hours to bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and the overall it took more than seven hours to cook the bun.
The bun was baked by Twig Bakery, Sysco donated the meat and condiments and the crane was provided by Steve Kolb Construction.