The Perfect Hamburger

RandolphEsq

What would people's 'perfect hamburger' recipe be?

I would chop up some onions and add them to the mince along with pepper, cumin and ketchup. Then cook it for 9 mins roughly and place on a freshly toasted bun. I would then melt some brie on it and a bit of cheddar, slice a tomato, add lettuce, and top off with some mayo and ketchup.

Bliss.

BaZmO*

That is bizarre!! I was just about to post about recipes for homemade burgers.

I was gonna make some tonight and was just wondering if it was ok to freeze them if they have egg in them?

I've made them before with Beef, Onions (was gonna fry them off first this time), Garlic, Mixed Herbs, Salt & Pepper.
Any other suggestions to add to that?

As for the OP's question, did anybody see Heston Bloominghell's show a couple of weeks ago about the Perfect Hamburger? God, he puts in some work into his recipes. Was very interesting how he made the actual meat patty though.

olaola

Ohh - burgers!

Mince, onion, garlic, grated parmesan, egg, parsley & salt and pepper.

Lash it on BBQ - I like mine medium. And I have it with smoky bacon, mayo and slices of plastic cheese. The bun is v.important IMO. I get them from Superquinn, makes such a difference to the 'bundies'.

Using half sausagemeat and half mince works well too.
It's quite hard to get a good burger out and about, mostly they are the frozen hockey-puck varities.

_blank_

I'm sure Hill Billy won't mind me linking to this.

http://boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=54205363&postcount=234


I made the recipe with the Ginger in them a few weeks ago.

Delicious.

watna

I grind mince, onion, celery and carrots in a blender. Then add cumin and american bbq seasoning. Cut up a lump of cheese and put it inside the patty. Cutting the burger open to melted cheese is yum. Grinding the vegetables up is also a really good way to eat vegetables without noticing, especially for kids.

oblivious

If you have the time fry/ caramelize the onions let them cool, make sure they are cool and added them to the ingredients


Really adds to the burgers

Tree

brown sauce, while generally being the runny poos of satan, is actually quite nice cooked into the burger, a dollop while making them instead of ketchup.

Corega

Add gherkins, red and Spanish onions, black pepper, some parmesan and egg yolk to bind the mince together and lash it in a pan. In the meantime mix some Dijon mustard with mayo (half and half) and throw some Danish blue in and thats your burger sauce.

Pigletlover

Mince, finely chopped onion, crushed garlic, salt and pepper and egg to bind. When cooked I like them on a heated sesame seed bun with lettuce, caramelised onions, brie and either a slice of pineapple or fried mushrooms and a good dollop of Chef.

rubadub

Get round steak, trim most of the fat off. Stick it in a blender with butter & pepper and blend until it is ground to a pulp. The butter takes the place of the fat you removed. I like mine really thin. On BBQs I make a pattie on a bit of tin foil, really thin, stick the foil on the bbq, it will cook and set on the foil, no need for binders, then turn it over to crisp the other side, and back again, only 2 turns, save the juices on the tinfoil and pour over the top 1min from the end.

Tescos do great 4packs of white baps, suitable for bigger burgers, really soft, a bit similar to eddie rocket buns.

I also mix make them with lean round steak and put grated cheese in the mixture. Make it thin and fry on a nonstick pan with no oil, the cheese cooks up and gives a taste like a pizza.

MREGAN

Get some steak mince and some pork mince and fine chopped streaky bacon, put in a bowl and add 1 egg and a small tin of chopped tomatoes Black pepper, sea salt, cumin, Garlic, chopped onion and steakado spices. Blend together and press into burger shapes.
The Bun I think is nicer if you only toast the inside on the grill. Tomatoes lettuce onion rings and bacon with grated cheese melted ontop.

jester77

Worcester sauce ftw!

Simple quick recipe I use is to fry some garlic, chopped red and normal onions, chopped mushrooms.
Then in a large bowl mix beef mince, egg white, salt, pepper, herbs (forget which ones but chives is one of them), the fried mixture and 2 tbspns of worcester sauce.

BaZmO*

jester77 wrote: »

Worcester sauce ftw!

Simple quick recipe I use is to fry some garlic, chopped red and normal onions, chopped mushrooms.
Then in a large bowl mix beef mince, egg white, salt, pepper, herbs (forget which ones but chives is one of them), the fried mixture and 2 tbspns of worcester sauce.

Made some last night and the one ingredient I forgot to put in was worcester sauce. I was going mad I forgot.

I just find them boring without having an extra spicy kick to them. I'll have to keep experimenting until I find something I'm happy with.

olaola

BaZmO* wrote: »

I just find them boring without having an extra spicy kick to them. I'll have to keep experimenting until I find something I'm happy with.

I find if the meat is good quality, then you don't have to mess with them too much. I'm a bit of a burger 'purist'

BaZmO*

olaola wrote: »

I find if the meat is good quality, then you don't have to mess with them too much. I'm a bit of a burger 'purist'

Very true, but if the meat was that spectacular in the first place I wouldn't make burgers out of it.

Quick question.

Does a homemade minced burger have to be cooked all the way through, i.e. can it be like a steak in that you can have it medium/rare/welldone etc.?

rubadub

BaZmO* wrote: »

Does a homemade minced burger have to be cooked all the way through, i.e. can it be like a steak in that you can have it medium/rare/welldone etc.?

Yes, same as a steak, no need to be well done inside, but I like my burgers cooked. With mince it is open to air from all sides, the bacteria grows on the surface and the innards are sealed. If you minced it and left it any length of time then it does need full cooking.

BUT mince it yourself, to not get the butcher to do it. I knew a FOAF who would eat steak tartare, i.e. raw minced meat. He would go to the butchers and pick out a fillet steak and have them mince it. This is literally sickening! Anybody who has used a big mincer will tell you why, your mincer needs to be "primed", i.e. if your mincer is brand new and you put a small steak in, very little comes out. You put more in and it pushes the original bit out, the first bit is stuck in the mechanisms. So the mincer in the butchers was full of old crap. He put in a fillet and got mainly crap, then the next person asking for rib steak to be minced on the spot was getting his fillet steak!, and he is at home chowing down on raw crap leftovers.

BaZmO*

rubadub wrote: »

Yes, same as a steak, no need to be well done inside, but I like my burgers cooked. With mince it is open to air from all sides, the bacteria grows on the surface and the innards are sealed. If you minced it and left it any length of time then it does need full cooking.

BUT mince it yourself, to not get the butcher to do it.

Yeah thought that was the case alright. Don't have a mincer so would only ever get shop bought mince and was wary of not cooking it right through.

rubadub wrote: »

I knew a FOAF who would eat steak tartare, i.e. raw minced meat.

Normally served with a raw egg. Can't say I've ever been that tempted to try it tbh.

MREGAN

So the mincer in the butchers was full of old crap. He put in a fillet and got mainly crap, then the next person asking for rib steak to be minced on the spot was getting his fillet steak!, and he is at home chowing down on raw crap leftovers.

All depends on the butcher and how they value there customers. I was a butcher and if some one asked for fillet steak to be minced it was fillet steak they got. I always passed through some meat before and after the 1lb or what ever of the customers. Any butcher that doesnt do that shouldnt be in business 1 for Health and safety reasons and 2 for customer satisfaction. Our mincer was cleaned twice a day even though it took a long time to take a part and wash properly.

rubadub

BaZmO* wrote: »

Yeah thought that was the case alright. Don't have a mincer so would only ever get shop bought mince and was wary of not cooking it right through.

I have no mincer either, I stick it in a blender, lean mince costs a lot these days, and it is cheaper to get rib or round, trim the fat and make your own. Blended beef is unsuitable for spag bol or chilli, but suitable for burgers, most frozen burgers and chippers etc use ground, not mince. Might do for meatballs too.

Burgers need fat though, you could add olive or veg oil if you want less saturated fat. I use butter for taste. With meatballs in sauce there is no real need for added fat, sauce makes them juicy enough. AND you get to see what cuts are going into it.

All depends on the butcher and how they value there customers. I was a butcher and if some one asked for fillet steak to be minced it was fillet steak they got. I always passed through some meat before and after the 1lb or what ever of the customers. Any butcher that doesnt do that shouldnt be in business 1 for Health and safety reasons and 2 for customer satisfaction. Our mincer was cleaned twice a day even though it took a long time to take a part and wash properly

True, I told it to this guy and from the look on his face he didnt have a butcher that did that!

Seems to be this black & white opinion with some people, supermarket meat is all crap, and all butchers have far better stuff. I know ex butchers who told me disgusting stories. At least most supermarkets have policies, like throwing meat out, since the butchers working there are not worried about their wages being effected they go by the rules, a sole trading butcher will not be as likely to throw away what could be profit. Like mcdonalds- burgers are tossed after 30mins, in chippers they are unlikely to be so concerned, thats why I only order popular dishes in takeaways.

bonkey

BrightEyes wrote: »

What would people's 'perfect hamburger' recipe be?

Tough one.

I have a basic burger recipe, which I then doctor depending on what I feel like on any given day. I might...

- add some bacon.
- use different herbs, or replace them entirely with spices.
- build the burger around a lump of cheddar or Gruyere.
- leave out the onion.
- use a mix of beef and pork.
- roll the burger in breadcrumbs before cooking

The options are endless...but anyway...

Ingredients
250g good quality mince
breadcrumbs - about half the same *volume* of mince
1 small onion, as finely chopped as possible
1 heaped teaspoon wholegrain mustard (Lakeshore Pub Mustard is good)
generous splash Worcestershire sauce
1-2 streaky rashers, finely diced (optional)
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground coriander (ground coriander seeds)
¼ tsp ground rosemary
¼ tsp ground sage
large pinch salt (use smoked salt, if you have it)
large pinch pepper (black, frashly ground)
1 egg

Topping
Melting Cheese (easy-singles will do just fine)
2 slices of bacon per burger


Method
-Mix the whole lot together, either by hand or in a food processor. A food processor will turn it into a sort of "paste", which looks vile but cooks great.
-If its too "wet", add some more breadcrumbs or mince.
-Form into burgers, to whatever size you like your burgers, You should get at least 4 from the quantities above
-If you have time, allow to sit in the fridge for 1/2 an hour
-Coat lightly with oil (I just pour about 1 tsp oil into the palm of my hand, then rub the top/bottom of each burger).
-Fry off the streaky bacon to be used as topping (if you're BBQing, do this with the next step. if you're frying, do it first)
-Cook the first side of your burger - about 3-4 minutes on medium-high heat, ideally on a BBQ or in a griddle-pan. The right heat is important here. Too high, and the breadcrumbs will burn. Too low and the meat won't fry properly, but will half-stew in its own juices.
-Turn the burger, then place the streaky bacon on top, cover with the melting cheese and cook for 3-4 additional minutes.
-Toast the inside of your burger buns just prior to serving up, but be careful you don't burn them. Do not toast the outside, ever.
-Serve with ketchup, mild mustard (Frenches), and sliced gherkin.

bonkey

BaZmO* wrote: »

Can't say I've ever been that tempted to try it tbh.

In case you ever are tempted, here's teh wife's recipe, which completely won me over:

http://www.dspsrv.com/cookbook/snacks.html#Beefsteak_Tartare_

ETA: hmmm...now that I think about it, it might make a good burger recipe

nice1franko

has anyone a good lamb burger recipe?

dudara

Quality of the mince is so important. I bought M&S Aberdeen Angus Lean Irish mince and used it in burgers and it blew me away. So moist and tasty.

MREGAN

True, I told it to this guy and from the look on his face he didnt have a butcher that did that!

Seems to be this black & white opinion with some people, supermarket meat is all crap, and all butchers have far better stuff. I know ex butchers who told me disgusting stories. At least most supermarkets have policies, like throwing meat out, since the butchers working there are not worried about their wages being effected they go by the rules, a sole trading butcher will not be as likely to throw away what could be profit. Like mcdonalds- burgers are tossed after 30mins, in chippers they are unlikely to be so concerned, thats why I only order popular dishes in takeaways.

I know what you mean but in the North Of Ireland now there is a new butchers licence and more checks are being done. Also labeling with dates, source etc so it is getting harder to be a bad butcher if you know what I mean. One thing about meat and a lot of people are moving away from it is it needs to be hung. What I mean is after it is killed and quartered it shouldnt be on sale for at least 2 weeks. Kill an animal even if it is the best and use its fillet steak straight away it will be tough as leather same with the mince etc coming from it. What a lot of supermarkets are doing is buying fresh so it lasts in the fridges longer. Bright red meat may look the best but it isnt. Anyway sorry for the wee rant but I would still buy from a butcher over a supermarket any day. For the reason the butcher is local and the money stays in the country supermarkets money just leaves the country. Yes I would check out a butcher and listen to reviews there is still cowboy butchers out there but most are A1

olaola

dudara wrote: »

Quality of the mince is so important. I bought M&S Aberdeen Angus Lean Irish mince and used it in burgers and it blew me away. So moist and tasty.

Defo worth getting better mince. Was in France there a few months ago - was gonna make burgers, so the lads toddled off to the shops. With their limited French they communicated to the butcher that they wanted minced 'beef'.
What they didn't realise is that the butcher thought they wanted minced 'fillet' for steak tartare.

I have to say those burgers were very very tender & moist!


Regarding Supermarker Vs Butcher meat. I would REALLY have to trust my butcher tbh. I've seen chicken breasts (from God knows where) defrosting on trays. It's hard to know where the meat comes from. Supermarkets have traceable meat and are very tightly regulated. There was even a thread on here last week about butchers handling money + meat in the same transaction. I've seen it a million times... it would not be tolerated in a supermarket.

MREGAN

Supermarkets have traceable meat and are very tightly regulated.

Thats the most laughable thing I have ever heard in my life. Supermarkets are making people believe that is the case. Many of them have labels with country the product was processed in. That is very different to country the meat came from. Supermarkets were brought before courts for changing labels using older food etc. Many use older food and coat it in sauces etc to mask the dull looking old meat. Again it is all down to the individual butcher. In a supermarket most staff dont care as long as their money comes in at the end of the week. If it is your business you arent gonna sell bad meat or put customers at risk as you wont be in business to long. It would be a long time before a supermarket closed because of a failing meat counter because it has such a vast area for income.

Having said that I am talking from the Norths point of view. I would assume things in the south were similar.
BTW Butchers in the north have the most traceable meat you can get. You can tell the farm the animals mother came from etc. Records have never been as good. If you seen the amount of paper work and regulations a butcher has to adher to now a days it is amazing they get time to work. I would only go to a supermarket as a last result. I know many people work in supermarkets and meat does get put back on the shelf after its sell by date. The Managers have targets to meet and they incourage this. I dont know where you are getting your information from but I would question it.

RxQueen

if all else fails, there is always a macdonalds near by!

Rawhead

Not sure if anyone watched Heston Blumenthal's show on BBC2 recently. He has an excellent show called "In search of perfection", the guy is a genius. One of the episodes involved cooking the perfect cheeseburger. He spent close on 3 weeks on the burgerbun alone, so this should give you some idea of the lenghts he goes to. You should be able to watch the episode on the BBC website. An amazing chef.

olaola

MREGAN wrote: »

Thats the most laughable thing I have ever heard in my life.

Maybe you are giving your point of view from the north, but in the supermarket I buy most of my meat in, it can be traced back to the farm.
I would doubt the origin of most meats in the butchers around where I live.

Saying that, I would prefer to support local business - but I have to be confident in them before I buy the meat.
I was in a butcher's in Limerick last weekend - they could tell you where every piece of meat came from (all local).

MREGAN

Saying that, I would prefer to support local business - but I have to be confident in them before I buy the meat.

Yeah thats true. I would be the same you have to trust who you buy from. I would still prefer a butcher but thats just my opinion.

RandolphEsq

I got myself some of that M&S Angus Beef and nice big baps, so to say I'm excited about making my burgers tonight is a great understatement!

Edit:I'm currently eating them and I've tears in my eyes. These burgers are possibly the greatest things I have ever eaten. Long live M&S! Long live the hamburger! I'm so happy