Discussion
My (very simple) burger recipe:
750g 20% fat minced beef
2 egg yolks
Small handful of finely chopped flat leaf parsley
Half medium red onion (grated)
1 dessert spoon of oyster sauce
1 dessert spoon of tomato ketchup
1 dessert spoon of Worcestershire sauce
Small handful of grated cheddar cheese
Pinch of salt
I mix all the above ingredients together, working them until well combined then fashion into giant meatball shapes. I then use my burger press to compress into burger patties.
Thereafter into the fridge to chill for a minimum of 30 mins then out directly onto a very hot, dry (there's enough fat in the meat for cooking), griddle turning the minimum number of times to cook as required (which as they are usually about 1 1/2 inches thick is a while). After the final turn I add the obligatory nasty plastic cheese slice.
To garnish I either serve with crisped bacon or pulled pork marinated in a little home made BBQ sauce.
Finally, serve on brioche buns.
Typically the above quantities will make 3 fairly large burgers (about 250g or so each). If you wanted to get fancy you could do an 80%/20% blend of beef and pork and experiment with adding different things such as bacon bits, a blue cheese centre etc. to taste!
750g 20% fat minced beef
2 egg yolks
Small handful of finely chopped flat leaf parsley
Half medium red onion (grated)
1 dessert spoon of oyster sauce
1 dessert spoon of tomato ketchup
1 dessert spoon of Worcestershire sauce
Small handful of grated cheddar cheese
Pinch of salt
I mix all the above ingredients together, working them until well combined then fashion into giant meatball shapes. I then use my burger press to compress into burger patties.
Thereafter into the fridge to chill for a minimum of 30 mins then out directly onto a very hot, dry (there's enough fat in the meat for cooking), griddle turning the minimum number of times to cook as required (which as they are usually about 1 1/2 inches thick is a while). After the final turn I add the obligatory nasty plastic cheese slice.
To garnish I either serve with crisped bacon or pulled pork marinated in a little home made BBQ sauce.
Finally, serve on brioche buns.
Typically the above quantities will make 3 fairly large burgers (about 250g or so each). If you wanted to get fancy you could do an 80%/20% blend of beef and pork and experiment with adding different things such as bacon bits, a blue cheese centre etc. to taste!
Edited by Greedydog on Thursday 17th July 13:39
These is my burger recipe; for two months I cooked burgers at least twice a week to perfect it. For me, the burger is all about the patty - the toppings and bread come secondary.
Patties
500g standard mince (can use lean if you want, will just be a touch less juicy)
1.5 teaspoons of white pepper
1.5 teaspoons of Worcester sauce
3 teaspoons/1 tablespoon of Nam Pla (fish sauce) (gives a deep umami and saltiness)
Cooking
Mix all together, divide equally into four portions and make those portions into the tightest ball possible in your hand. Put each ball between two pieces of baking paper and smash down with your hand to make a patty around 1.5cm thick. Poke a hole in the middle of the patties with your finger to stop them shrinking in the pan.
Heat up a frying pan on its highest heat til it's smoking.
Add the patties, and turn down to a medium high heat.
Leave to cook on one side for around 2-3mins - do NOT flip them until the sides are beginning to brown and the meat in contact with the pan looks slightly charred. Once you have flipped, immediately add as much/little cheese you want - I like cheddar, but you can have whatever.
Put the lid on the frying pan, or if no lid, an upside down saucepan or cloche will do. This will steam the burgers, keeping them juicy, and melt the cheese.
As soon as the cheese has melted, immediately remove the burgers to the bun, add toppings, and eat.
Toppings
I have very thinly sliced red onion and cherry tomato, with some shredded iceberg lettuce. The thin slicing is important - you get the flavour, but not huge chunks of onion/tomato to bite through. The lettuce gives it a crunch.
Bun
I like wholemeal buns from Hovis, but have also had English breakfast muffins which were really nice. It's up to you. The current (overhyped) trend is a sweet brioche bun, but for me it's just personal preference.
Notes: I have used a burger press - they are really awful unless you have an industrial clamp type one. For me, they make the meat too dense, and are a pain to use effectively.
Patties
500g standard mince (can use lean if you want, will just be a touch less juicy)
1.5 teaspoons of white pepper
1.5 teaspoons of Worcester sauce
3 teaspoons/1 tablespoon of Nam Pla (fish sauce) (gives a deep umami and saltiness)
Cooking
Mix all together, divide equally into four portions and make those portions into the tightest ball possible in your hand. Put each ball between two pieces of baking paper and smash down with your hand to make a patty around 1.5cm thick. Poke a hole in the middle of the patties with your finger to stop them shrinking in the pan.
Heat up a frying pan on its highest heat til it's smoking.
Add the patties, and turn down to a medium high heat.
Leave to cook on one side for around 2-3mins - do NOT flip them until the sides are beginning to brown and the meat in contact with the pan looks slightly charred. Once you have flipped, immediately add as much/little cheese you want - I like cheddar, but you can have whatever.
Put the lid on the frying pan, or if no lid, an upside down saucepan or cloche will do. This will steam the burgers, keeping them juicy, and melt the cheese.
As soon as the cheese has melted, immediately remove the burgers to the bun, add toppings, and eat.
Toppings
I have very thinly sliced red onion and cherry tomato, with some shredded iceberg lettuce. The thin slicing is important - you get the flavour, but not huge chunks of onion/tomato to bite through. The lettuce gives it a crunch.
Bun
I like wholemeal buns from Hovis, but have also had English breakfast muffins which were really nice. It's up to you. The current (overhyped) trend is a sweet brioche bun, but for me it's just personal preference.
Notes: I have used a burger press - they are really awful unless you have an industrial clamp type one. For me, they make the meat too dense, and are a pain to use effectively.
Edited by 22s on Thursday 17th July 13:41
Good quality butchers minced beef, salt, pepper. Not too thick, cook, hot and fast, I like mine pink to red in the middle.
Crappy cheese squares
Crispy smoked bacon
Iceberg, 1 slice of a large tomato.
Soft white bap with sesame seeds, rub with olive oil and lightly toast.
Mayo and/or thousand island.
Crappy cheese squares
Crispy smoked bacon
Iceberg, 1 slice of a large tomato.
Soft white bap with sesame seeds, rub with olive oil and lightly toast.
Mayo and/or thousand island.
Mobile Chicane said:
I find that using minced beef results in too dense and 'fibrous' a texture. I use steak, haché style.
My preference being to select a well-aged rib-eye with around 15-20% fat (by eye), and chop it fine with a very sharp knife.
The temptation to mix in cornichons, capers, parsley and garlic, then plop an egg yolk on top and forget about cooking it might be too much for me My preference being to select a well-aged rib-eye with around 15-20% fat (by eye), and chop it fine with a very sharp knife.
I work with quite a lot of the trendy burger joints in London for my job and the general consensus among the chefs I chat to:
- Mince should be about 20% fat content
- I use a ratio of 50/50 fine minced chuck and coarse minced short rib meat, your butcher's should do that for you.
- Form the patty by hand to a weight of about 150g
- Season the OUTSIDE of the patty but not the inside. Putting salt inside the burger draws moisture out as it cooks and leaves the burger dry. Oil then salt (heavily) and pepper
- Toast the bun. I prefer demi brioche but serve it in whatever you like.
- When the burger is nearly done (an internal temperature of 63C for nice and pink), a smear of American mustard add the cheese, pickle, tomato and bun top, then cloche that mother. This means grabbing a stainless steel bowl (or similar) to cover over the pan you are frying in. Do this for about a minute, till the cheese has melted and the bun is a bit soft.
- Add a smear of mayo and some iceberg lettuce to the bottom of the bun and slap the top half on the bottom.
BOSH!
- Mince should be about 20% fat content
- I use a ratio of 50/50 fine minced chuck and coarse minced short rib meat, your butcher's should do that for you.
- Form the patty by hand to a weight of about 150g
- Season the OUTSIDE of the patty but not the inside. Putting salt inside the burger draws moisture out as it cooks and leaves the burger dry. Oil then salt (heavily) and pepper
- Toast the bun. I prefer demi brioche but serve it in whatever you like.
- When the burger is nearly done (an internal temperature of 63C for nice and pink), a smear of American mustard add the cheese, pickle, tomato and bun top, then cloche that mother. This means grabbing a stainless steel bowl (or similar) to cover over the pan you are frying in. Do this for about a minute, till the cheese has melted and the bun is a bit soft.
- Add a smear of mayo and some iceberg lettuce to the bottom of the bun and slap the top half on the bottom.
BOSH!
Edited by PedroB on Friday 18th July 12:06
Here is a pretty good (and very scientific) look at when to salt or not salt your burgers in the cooking process: http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2009/12/the-bu...
Spolier:
The one on the right had salt added when it was being made, the one on the left had the salt added *just* before being cooked.
Spolier:
The one on the right had salt added when it was being made, the one on the left had the salt added *just* before being cooked.
Mobile Chicane said:
I find that using minced beef results in too dense and 'fibrous' a texture. I use steak, haché style.
My preference being to select a well-aged rib-eye with around 15-20% fat (by eye), and chop it fine with a very sharp knife.
I had always dismissed steak hache as just a hamburger without the bun...My preference being to select a well-aged rib-eye with around 15-20% fat (by eye), and chop it fine with a very sharp knife.
With home made burgers, one thing I have only recently found is that resting the burgers as you would a steak after cooking really helps the texture and juiciness of the final product. I usually just put them on a plate covered with foil for 5 mins after cooking and it has made them much better.
A variant on the rib-eye burger - only works for larger quantities
Take a whole piece of rib-eye (3-4lbs).
Joint the meat by cutting along the seams - you'll end up with the eye meat which is very lean, a solid piece of fat and the cap meat which might be quite fatty. You'll also have gristle / sinew, which I chuck away.
Cut all of this into strips and salt it with sea salt flakes. 1 level teaspoon per 500g of meat. Leave it overnight.
Mince the fat finely. Mix the minced fat with the cap meat and then mince that finely (ends up with the fat being double minced). Mince the eye meat coarsely. Mix everything together.
Form into burgers with a burger press. Around 6oz is a good size.
Cook on a v hot griddle (I use an outdoor gas grill). I cook it medium rare - around 4 minutes total.
To serve the following are essential:
French's American Mustard
Mrs Elwoods Hamisha Cucumbers
Thinly sliced red onion
Decent quality buns, lightly toasted.
Everything else is optional.
I'm not keen on the taste / texture of "Mince" unless it's been simmered for 3 - 4 hours. It's not suitable for burger style cooking in my opinion.
Take a whole piece of rib-eye (3-4lbs).
Joint the meat by cutting along the seams - you'll end up with the eye meat which is very lean, a solid piece of fat and the cap meat which might be quite fatty. You'll also have gristle / sinew, which I chuck away.
Cut all of this into strips and salt it with sea salt flakes. 1 level teaspoon per 500g of meat. Leave it overnight.
Mince the fat finely. Mix the minced fat with the cap meat and then mince that finely (ends up with the fat being double minced). Mince the eye meat coarsely. Mix everything together.
Form into burgers with a burger press. Around 6oz is a good size.
Cook on a v hot griddle (I use an outdoor gas grill). I cook it medium rare - around 4 minutes total.
To serve the following are essential:
French's American Mustard
Mrs Elwoods Hamisha Cucumbers
Thinly sliced red onion
Decent quality buns, lightly toasted.
Everything else is optional.
I'm not keen on the taste / texture of "Mince" unless it's been simmered for 3 - 4 hours. It's not suitable for burger style cooking in my opinion.
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