"Starvinungry" Burgers

We love watching all the cookery shows and an absolute must-see for us is “Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares”. After all, if you learn what NOT to do in a kitchen, then what’s left must be the right thing to do… yes?  Anyway, a restaurant in LA called “The Burger Kitchen” was recently featured and their situation was so disastrous it was aired over 2 episodes, which we watched on consecutive evenings.

This whetted our burger appetite, so to speak, and the following day, having been really busy at work, Dawn said that she was absolutely starving hungry and REALLY fancied a big burger. 

Never one to shirk a challenge, it was a question of “what’s in the fridge?” and so I came up with this… an experimental burger recipe that hit the spot and which I served with hand cut sweet potato chips, stir fried baby corns and bean sprouts.  You, of course, can have them with whatever you like. 

Ingredients

For the Patties - makes 5 large ones

500g lean beef or steak mince
50g oats
2 teaspoons dried parsley
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 egg
1 clove garlic
1 small red chilli
Dash Worcester sauce
20g plain flour

For the garnish

1 large or 2 medium tomatoes
Handful wild rocket
1 small red onion
300ml beef stock or gravy
Olive oil (for frying)
Salt and pepper to taste
Burger buns (I used Tesco’s oatmeal seeded deli rolls)

  

The Prep

1.    Peel and slice the Onion.

2.    Slice the tomato as finely as you can.  A very sharp knife is required for this as otherwise the tomato just squishes.

3.    Finely chop the garlic and chilli.

4.    Make the gravy or beef stock and set aside.

 The Method

1.    Put all the Patty ingredients except the flour into a large bowl and mix until it starts to bind.  Add the flour at this point and keep mixing until it all sticks together.

2.    Take a handful of the mixture and form it into burger shapes with your hands, placing each one on a plate as you finish. 

3.    Take a large frying pan, add some olive oil so that the bottom of the pan is coated and turn onto a medium heat. Add the Patties and fry on one side for 3-4 minutes or well browned.

4.    Turn burgers over and pour in the stock/gravy. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes or until all the liquid has been soaked up.

5.    Now to build the burger.  Slice the buns and place the base on a plate, adding a slice of tomato and then onion.  When the Patties are ready, place on top of the onion, then sprinkle some rocket on before topping off with another slice of tomato.  Don’t forget the top of the bun!

6.    Add your own relish or ketchup to taste.

7.    Serve and enjoy.