What I love about these patties is that they have only two ingredients: beef mince and salt. Without the onion and all the rest of the faffing around, these burgers taste true and meaty and the risk of them falling apart is minimal.
For the first time since I made baby sliders I made my own burger buns. If you’ve got the time one weekend I would definitely invest the time to make these. Not only are they delicious, but their glossy finish is 100 per cent Instagrammable.
This is probably going to be the first of many a column about burgers, so watch this space. Serve these up with a good side of homemade kumara chips and a dollop of mayo and you’ll be laughing your way past our favourite burger-making pals on George Street.
Ingredients
Patties:- 500g beef mince
- 1 teaspoon salt
Mushroom relish:
- 5 large Portobello mushrooms, sliced
- 1 onion, sliced into rings
- splash of olive oil
- ¼ cup cream
- a pinch of salt and pepper
Buns:
- 420g high grade flour
- 1 sachet of instant yeast (8g)
- 40g white sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 170ml milk
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1 egg, separated
- 30g butter, cubed, room temperature
- an egg white
- Sesame seeds or salt flakes to garnish
Shredded iceberg lettuce
A cheeky dollop of mayo
Method
- To make the buns, mix together the flour, yeast, sugar and salt. Add the lemon juice to the milk and let it sit for five minutes so it curdles. Mix this into the dry mix followed by the egg white and then the yolk. Stir until the dough comes together. Add the butter in small pieces and knead it into the dough, only adding the next piece when the previous piece has been totally incorporated. Knead for around 15 minutes then leave to rise in a bowl covered in cling film in a warm place for a couple of hours. Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down then split it into six (you will make more buns than patties). Gently form smooth balls and leave to rise a second time on a baking tray lined with baking paper for another hour. The other alternative is to warm your oven to 50 degrees then turn it off and leaving the buns to rise in the oven’s residual heat. Preheat the oven to 190 degrees, mix the egg white with a splash of water and brush liberally over the buns. Sprinkle the tops with salt flakes or sesame seeds then bake for 15-18 minutes until they are golden and make a hollow sound when tapped. Remove from the oven and leave to cool before slicing open.
- To make the patties, mix together the beef and the salt, form into four patties then cook in a frying pan over a medium heat for about three minutes either side (longer if you want them well done).
- Sauté the onion for the mushrooms until translucent then soften the mushrooms until cooked and dark in colour. Add the cream and simmer until the cream has pretty much reduced, then season.
- Assemble the buns with the mushroom relish on the base followed by the patty followed by the lettuce followed by the crown of the bun smothered in mayo. Use a small skewer to secure the bun if needed. Devour at once.