If you’re going to have a beef-burger at home then be good to yourself and make it a home-made one. More often than not I buy them ready made but even those from the best butcher counter in the world are not going to beat the one you make yourself. You’ll know exactly what goes in and I love being able to really taste the onion in mine. I’m not a huge fan of ketchup generally – I think it was one of my brothers eating ketchup sandwiches as a kid that put me off and I probably did the same to him with my vinegar ones – (our neighbour was far more cosmopolitan than us and indulged in butter and sugar sandwiches) – but where a burger is concerned ketchup is a necessity. You will need a decent bun to put it in, preferably a good ol’ crusty one to soak up any escaping meat juices. Lettuce, onion and tomato are good to add flavour and I’m definitely partial to coleslaw, sliced cheddar and pickle in mine. If properly loaded you should just barely be able to take the first bite, a bite that has you drooling with anticipation and leaves you closing your eyes with heady satisfaction.
Beef Burgers
Makes 6.
You will need:
1 egg
1 small onion
2 cloves garlic
500g round steak mince
100g breadcrumbs (3 slices bread blitzed – wholegrain if possible)
2 tsp dried herbes de Provence or oregano or basil
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt & pepper
Method:
Lightly beat the egg in a small bowl.
Peel and finely chop the onion and crush the garlic.
Place the mince in a large bowl and add the onion, garlic, breadcrumbs, herbs and beaten egg and season with salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly with a fork.
Shape the mixture into 6 balls and flatten into burger shapes with your hands.
Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over a medium/high heat and cook the burger for about 5 minutes on the first side until nicely browned.
Turn the burgers over and lower the heat slightly to medium and cook for a further 15-20 minutes turning the burgers once more half way through cooking and pressing down with a spatula to encourage heat to penetrate through the burger.
Test that the burger is thoroughly cooked by cutting through to the centre with a knife. There should be no pink meat and the juices should run clear.
Serve in a toasted burger bun or ciabatta with some potato wedges and salad or just load it up with all your favourite toppings.
Enjoy!
‘Til next time, Sheila.