'I'm an ex-McDonald's chef - here's the best thing on the menu and what you should avoid'

A former McDonald's chef has opened up about what the 'best' thing on the whole menu is - and there's a simple trick to eating it that'll make it taste even better.

Mike Haracz, who held the title of manager of culinary innovation for the US menu for four years, has lifted the lid on the fast food chain's secrets.Sharing his favourite meal and the best customer swaps, 40-year-old Mike has some very useful tips, saying his advice is based on 'personal taste preferences' alone.

And with over 20 years of professional experience, as well as degrees in culinary arts and culinary nutrition, he knows the tricks of the trade.

Mike’s personal favourite order is a classic. He told NeedToKnow: “The best option is the quarter pounder with cheese, but you need to eat it within a few minutes of being served to know the difference. The US has switched to cooking fresh beef to order for quarter pounders.

“If you wait too long to eat it, all of the quality improvements are lost and it tastes the way that it used to.”

In the UK, all of the patties used by McDonalds are 100% British and Irish beef, so they'll taste even better if you eat them right away - and of course they're best served with a side of fries.

Mike Haracz

During his time working at McDonald’s, Mike would conduct sensory and quality testing on products and ingredients. He says that due to the volume of food McDonald’s sells every day, the restaurant could be limited in what they launch nationally.

He said: “There might not be enough of an ingredient in the world to support it on the menu. McDonald’s corporate would provide guidelines on many aspects of the restaurants including the cooking process and hold times for food ingredients.

“Working in the corporate kitchens is a very different experience than working in the restaurants. We were not cooking for guests, however, the kitchens were designed to replicate the footprint of these restaurants."

And when it comes to the menu items to avoid, Mike recommends steering clear of the standard breakfast bagel sandwich - which is good news as this isn't sold in the UK anyway.

But if you do find yourself in the US and craving a McDonald's breakfast, you should switch the standard folded egg to a round egg or scrambled - as the folded option can be dry and lacking in flavour.

You should also ask for it to be steamed, as the new bun is 'not as good as it used to be'.

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