Burger Night at Our House
We love burger night at our house. Everyone is quite excited on these night.
I am not a person that buys burgers when I go out, I find them too messy. And thank goodness my kids have never liked eating at the fast food chains, they just never did, I would take them there from time to time, but they never liked it.
I love burgers for they are so simple to make. I love that they are messy to eat, I am probably the worst burger eater ever, but I enjoy every messy bite.
In our house everyone makes their own burger. I put a few sauces on the table, I put all the other ingredients in different bowls on the table, the bun is sliced, once my husband barbecues the patties, everyone gets to make their ideal burger.
This is my favourite patty recipe, it is something my mum made as a child, very easy to make. I always make the patties larger than the bun, as they do shrink on cooking. I also like to use pork and veal mince as I find it is lighter in flavour than beef mince alone, I really am not a fan of beef mince, never have been. Some people like to add breadcrumbs to the mince, I have tried it on numerous recipes and I find it toughens the patty mixture. My way, the patties are a little more delicate to work with, but I find are nicer to eat.
Also with the patty, once I have made the mince mixture, I like to get a small meatball sized piece and form it into a mini burger. I quickly fry it on both sides, until cooked through, then taste it, so I know if I got the seasoning right.
This is another one of my personal recipes, something I made from scratch.
I am not a person that buys burgers when I go out, I find them too messy. And thank goodness my kids have never liked eating at the fast food chains, they just never did, I would take them there from time to time, but they never liked it.
I love burgers for they are so simple to make. I love that they are messy to eat, I am probably the worst burger eater ever, but I enjoy every messy bite.
In our house everyone makes their own burger. I put a few sauces on the table, I put all the other ingredients in different bowls on the table, the bun is sliced, once my husband barbecues the patties, everyone gets to make their ideal burger.
This is my favourite patty recipe, it is something my mum made as a child, very easy to make. I always make the patties larger than the bun, as they do shrink on cooking. I also like to use pork and veal mince as I find it is lighter in flavour than beef mince alone, I really am not a fan of beef mince, never have been. Some people like to add breadcrumbs to the mince, I have tried it on numerous recipes and I find it toughens the patty mixture. My way, the patties are a little more delicate to work with, but I find are nicer to eat.
Also with the patty, once I have made the mince mixture, I like to get a small meatball sized piece and form it into a mini burger. I quickly fry it on both sides, until cooked through, then taste it, so I know if I got the seasoning right.
This is another one of my personal recipes, something I made from scratch.
Recipe
Makes 8 burgers
Patty:
1kg Pork and Veal Mince
1 onion, finely diced
1 egg
1/2-1 teaspoon vegeta
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Salt and pepper, to taste
8 burger buns
Burger filling ideas:
Fried Onions-3 large onions, sliced into rings
3 tomatoes-sliced
Shredded lettuce
Cheese-pick one that melts, I love Havarti
Bacon (optional)
Egg (optional)
Sauces-tomato, barbecue, tobasco, mayonnaise-whatever you love
Patty:
1kg Pork and Veal Mince
1 onion, finely diced
1 egg
1/2-1 teaspoon vegeta
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Salt and pepper, to taste
8 burger buns
Burger filling ideas:
Fried Onions-3 large onions, sliced into rings
3 tomatoes-sliced
Shredded lettuce
Cheese-pick one that melts, I love Havarti
Bacon (optional)
Egg (optional)
Sauces-tomato, barbecue, tobasco, mayonnaise-whatever you love
For the patties: Heat a small pan over medium heat, add a teaspoon of oil and the finely chopped onion, sauté for 5 minutes, or until the onion has softened. Place into a large bowl to cool completely.
Once the onions have cooled, add the mince, egg, vegeta, parsley, salt and pepper. Using your hands you need to mix and squish this mixture together until it is well mixed and all the ingredients are well combined.
This mixture made 8 patties for me, so take a large handful of the mixture and form a patty larger than the bun you have chosen (as they will shrink on cooking). Press it down so it is even in thickness, make them as thin as you can, without them falling apart, so that they cook quicker, place it on a plate. When making the patties place some cling film between the patties to stop them sticking to one another. Once they are all made, refrigerate until needed. I do like to take them out of the refrigerator at least 30 minutes up to an hour before cooking, as they cook better if not fridge cold.
Once the onions have cooled, add the mince, egg, vegeta, parsley, salt and pepper. Using your hands you need to mix and squish this mixture together until it is well mixed and all the ingredients are well combined.
This mixture made 8 patties for me, so take a large handful of the mixture and form a patty larger than the bun you have chosen (as they will shrink on cooking). Press it down so it is even in thickness, make them as thin as you can, without them falling apart, so that they cook quicker, place it on a plate. When making the patties place some cling film between the patties to stop them sticking to one another. Once they are all made, refrigerate until needed. I do like to take them out of the refrigerator at least 30 minutes up to an hour before cooking, as they cook better if not fridge cold.
Fried onions: Place a tablespoon of oil in a medium-large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the sliced onions, fry stirring, for about 10-15 minutes, until all the rings have separated, have softened, and have browned to a golden brown colour, season with salt. Place in a serving bowl.
Place the sliced tomatoes on a serving plate. Slice up the cheese and place on a serving plate. Shred some lettuce, wash it, spin it, place in a serving bowl.
For the patties, I like my husband to barbecue them. While he barbecues that gives me time to fry the bacon (keep it warm in the oven until needed) grill the bread on the cut side, and fry up the egg, I like the yolk to still be runny, it adds an extra sauce to the burger.
To cook the burgers whether you barbecue or fry them, spray some cooking spray on the barbecue hotplate or in your frying pan. The heat should be about medium as you don't want the outside of your burger to be burnt and the inside raw, so a gentler heat is needed. Add the patties and cook for about 4-5 minutes on each side or until browned on both sides and cooked through. It is important to make sure the mince is cooked through. You can place it in the oven to keep warm if you still have not gotten your other filling ingredients ready.
To cook the burgers whether you barbecue or fry them, spray some cooking spray on the barbecue hotplate or in your frying pan. The heat should be about medium as you don't want the outside of your burger to be burnt and the inside raw, so a gentler heat is needed. Add the patties and cook for about 4-5 minutes on each side or until browned on both sides and cooked through. It is important to make sure the mince is cooked through. You can place it in the oven to keep warm if you still have not gotten your other filling ingredients ready.
To assemble, place one half of your burger bun, cut side up on a plate, add some tomato sauce, slices of tomato, the patty, cheese (it will melt due to the patty being hot), fried onions, bacon, egg and lettuce.
Enjoy!
