I have a confession to make. Everytime I stand in front of a large black board with all this different types of burgers to choose from, the story is the same “A cheeseburger please.” Which is pretty funny, mostly for the people who know me, man I like to complicate things in the kitchen. But not with burgers, I like to keep it pretty simple in that area. Of course the possibilities and combinations are endless. Some contain ghurkins, other cheese, some add bacon. Whatever it is, as long as it makes us happy and satisfied, right?
Which is pretty funny, mostly for the people who know me, man I like to complicate things in the kitchen. But not with burgers.
I wish I could write the definition what a perfect burger is once and for all, but that is not on me. I can only offer you some directions and hope to help you a bit, or at least share with you one more option. So here we go, my ultimate favourite burger.
Lesson 1. Buns.
Important, oh so very important. I like to make them at home, fresh, tender and fluffy. With sesame seeds.
Get the recipe for the most fluffy buns HERE.
Buns respresent the shell of a yummy inside, they kind of hold everything together. So bad bread = bad execution and we for sure do not want that. I like to prepare buns one day in advence, just to make sure that the next day I will be able to spend the day outside chatting with the family or friends while roasting the beef. You can of course make some extra and store it in the fridge.
Lesson 2. Meat.
Meat, meat, meat. What to choose? For me the decision is pretty easy. 100% beef. I always go with beef chuck if possible, if not, I would suggest brisket. Those cuts have just enough fat to give us that meaty taste, we all crave in a burger. Ask your butcher to grind the meat, or grind it yourself. Freshness is important.
If you want to get the perfect shape, use small pastry rings. That way, all of the burgers will be the same size, which will be easier for roasting.
Get the recipe for the whole burger HERE.
Lesson 3. Sauces.
Actually the heart of the party. Imagine eating a burger without any sauce? Yeah, neither can I. I like to mix things up to make it more fun. The basic sauce is homemade, creamy mayonnaise. Then I like to take a couple of spoons of that mayonaisse, add a bit of ketchup + brandy and make a mix, a cocktail sauce. The other thing I like in my burger is a tiny bit of spicy feeling, so I prepare a barbecue sauce and that pretty much wraps up the whole burger.
Lesson 4. Freshness.
We NEED freshness. We prepared the fluffy tender buns, we talked about tasty meat and we covered the sauces, so what we have left is freshness. Fresh salad, fresh tomatoes and pickled gherkins (those kind of make a statement in a burger in my honest opinion.) All of those ingredients are better sliced thinly. That way we get more layers in a burger and with that a complexity of flavour is not compromised.
Lesson 5. Add a personal touch.
For me, that is a medium rare burger patty, because of its meaty flavour. I love to add bacon and cheese to make it even more complex and delectable and that's probably it. Simplicity at its finest.
Hopefully this helped in any way. We would love to know what your favourite burger is and how you add a personal touch to it?
We would love to know what your favourite burger is and how you add a personal touch to it?
Comment below.
Thanks for stopping by and have a lovely day.
