Home made burgers are so quick and easy to prepare. Once you have the basic seasonings in the cupboard, it is a five minute job to prepare a batch. Here’s our time-honoured tried and tested ultimate burger recipe and cooking technique. We’d love to hear you tricks and techniques too.
To make four good size quarter pounders, you will need:
- 500g mince beef (go for 80% lean beef and 20% fat if you can find it – burgers need the fat for flavour and to help bind them)
- half an onion (red is best but normal is fine) chopped very fine and fried gently for 2-3 mins – don’t let it brown.
- one whole egg beaten up
That’s the basic recipe to mix together.
To this add:
- 1 tspn ground cumin
- 1 tspn ground coriander
- 1 tspn english mustard powder
- good slug of worcester sauce (probably about a tablespoonful)
- good slug of oyster sauce
- pinch of sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- Or a ‘Trail Blazin’ Burgers‘ Meal Kit from California Rancher
Sounds like quite a lot of stuff but once you have it all in the cupboard you can make up these burgers in just five mins and the spices etc will last for ages.
Mix it all together with your hands and then put in the fridge to firm up for half an hour.
I also sometime add some freshly chopped chilli for chilli-burgers. Sometimes freshly chopped parsley or fresh coriander. Sometimes spring onions Sometimes some smoked paprika. Also good is some smokey chipotle. Freestyle it.
If the mixture is a bit wet and sloppy then add a handful of breadcrumbs.
Divide into four and make into burger patties. I use a little burger press to make proper burger shapes – gives them a uniform shape and size but it’s absolutely fine just to make by hand.
Here’s another little trick – push your thumb gently into the centre of your burger before it goes on the grill. This will compensate for the burger wanting to ‘ball-up’ as it cooks and you’ll end up with a nice flat burger.
Put them on a really hot grill and just leave them for 4-5 mins. Flip them over and just leave them again for another 4-5 mins. Don’t fiddle. If the grill is hot enough, the burger will not stick – you shouldn’t need to oil the grill or the burger.
Don’t press down on them when they are cooking – this is a real gringo trick and all it does is squeeze out all the lovely juices and moisture – plus it makes the flame flare up and just turn the outside into charcoal before the inside has properly cooked.
Serve with sliced gherkins, thinly sliced cheese, tomato relish, lettuce and mayo on BBQ toasted sesame seed buns.