Home-made Egg McMuffin?

Cafe Society
1

When I was growing up, my mother was a fantastic cook. She could make anything, and she could make anything delicious. I was seriously spoiled: when given the option, we kids would always shun going out to eat because mom’s food was so great.

But there has always been one notable exception.

My favorite food on this planet is – and will always be – the McDonalds Egg McMuffin. Sorry mom. That lightly toasted and subtly buttered muffin; that slice of cheap ham with just the right consistency and texture; that sweet and salty processed cheese half-melted and warmly oozing into the bread; and the egg patty. Ah, the egg patty. Not too greasy, not too watery. Firm but not rubbery. It is always the perfect thickness, but somehow, it is real egg and not powdered.

When combined, these ingredients meld into a taste experience that not only proves the existence of God, but demonstrates that he loves us.

But there is a problem. I see no reason why I shouldn’t be able to make one myself in the privacy of my own kitchen. I have English muffins. I have Canadian bacon. I have processed cheese. I have a carton of eggs. But all attempts to recreate the McMuffin “egg patty” have culminated in failure.

If I fry the egg, it comes out a bit greasy and far too flat.

If I poach the egg lightly, the result is misshapen with a runny yolk.

If I poach the egg aggressively, the result is still misshapen, but the albumen is rubbery.

If I break the egg into a glass and microwave it (as has been recommended on a website or two), it comes out bubbly and messy, and no longer tastes like egg at all.

How do they do it at McD’s? Has anyone managed to recreate this delicacy at home? Any other successful attempts at home-made fast food?

2

You need to get a tuna fish can, take both the top and bottom off, rid it of all hints of tuna, beat the egg, and fry it in that. Don’t use too much oil in the pan – just a spray of Pam or similar should do it. You might want to spray the can, too.

I suppose if you could find a round biscuit cutter of the right size, it would work just as well as a tuna fish can.

3

Here’s what you want:

http://www.amazon.com/Back-Basics-TEM500-Muffin-2-Slice/dp/B000B18P96/

(Note: It has a tray to steam the meat, but if you use that the water tends to drip down onto the egg and mess it up. Just microwave the meat if you want to. As for cheese, you just add it to the hot sandwich.)

4

The Egg McMuffin egg (when I was working at MickeyD’s 20 years ago, anyway) actually is poached. They had a six-rack of ring forms. We’d break an egg into each one, break the yolk (without actually beating the egg), put the lid on, and drip water into a little funnel in the lid. The water didn’t fall directly on any egg, but steamed when it hit the grill and that helped cook the egg.

Maybe the grills McDonald’s uses get hotter than your stove can?

5

I have some egg/pancake ring molds that I used to make fried eggs for homemade McMuffins - kind of like this or this, except mine don’t have a handle (which would probably be easier to use).

I use a nonstick frying pan and spray the inside of the ring with Pam. Let the frying pan and ring get hot enough, then add the egg and let it cook until it’s done at least halfway through. Then slide a pancake flipper underneath the ring and egg, quickly remove the ring and flip the egg.

6

If I do say so myself. I’ve been trying to solve this same problem for a long time myself. I had all the same problems you mention. I tried rings (they always leaked around the edges and were impossible to clean) fancy poachers (soggy eggs, wrong shape, also hard to clean), etc.

Then they came out with this. It’s for making muffin tops. As soon as I saw it I knew…

It works perfectly for eggs. (Strictly speaking, what’s known as shirred eggs.)

The cups are exactly the right size to make a patty from one egg to fit a muffin. Just a little nonstick spray first, add the eggs, and bake for 5 - 10 minutes, depending on how well you like them done. You can scramble them first or put them in whole. I usually put them in whole and break the yolk. They slip right out when they’re done and the pan just wipes out clean. And what the hell… if you’re gonna make one breakfast muffin you may as well make six, right?
Seriously, I was really pleased with myself when I figured to use this pan for eggs. I’d be even more pleased to share the idea.

7

What a marvellous little invention! What temperature do you cook 'em at? (She said, preparing to guesstimate anyway since her oven’s in Celcius.)

8

I would only offere one reccomendation: Kraft slices are not American Cheese. McDonald’s uses a real American cheese that is much more buttery and rich enough for that perfect foil. When you enjoyan egg Mc Muffin it is due to that proprietary Mc D’s cheese. You want the good cheese.

9

I worked breakfast @ McDonald’s about 25 years ago. We had the six rack; we didn’t break the yolk and I don’t remember any water being involved or a lid of any sort.

Here are individual egg rings.

The ones at McD’s are hardier, made of thick iron IIRC.

10

My boyfriend’s roommate has one of these, and I don’t know if we’re doing something wrong, but the egg has always turned out kind of disgusting. Doesn’t taste like an egg anymore, just like bitter nothing. But it’s very possible we are just stupid, so YMMV.

11

Same here. 1981 I think. We just cracked an egg into those ring thingies. I think there may have been some sort of cover for it to help steam it quicker. Most people don’t have the large restaurant gauge griddle tops like McDonald’s does though. I wonder if that makes a difference?

12

Those little ring things are crap at home. The egg just oozes out from under them.

13

Should work fine if you have decent, flat pan. I’ve used the tuna can trick, and I’ve fashioned aluminum foil into a ring, and they both work.

14

Myron Van Whathisname, you ARE very clever!

I also eagerly await your heating instructions.

ETA: Did you guys read the description of that pan? “…no bottom part to throw away!” Seriously? People throw away half of a muffin? What is wrong with people?!

15

There’s a market in St Louis that bakes all their “muffins” that way. They call them Muffies.

16

I have a set of egg rings that I’ve used for years, and they’re perfect for making Egg McMuffins.
You can’t use them in a warped pan or one that is textured, like Circulon, but if you have a good non-stick flat pan, they’re indispensible.

17

They cook well enough between 325-350F, which would be around 175C. No browned spots, either.

Did I mention how easy it is to clean? I just wipe it with a paper towel.

18

I remember a thread about “what does your office do with muffin stumps?”. IIRC, the person’s office would have muffins brought in for meetings, and people would break off the tops and leave the “stumps” on the tray. That thread got quite contentious.

19

Egg McMuffins are much better with a runny yolk.

20

There was actually a Seinfeld episode about this, where Elaine tried to donate her muffin bottoms to the homeless shelter for food and the shelter attendant got irate with her.