I remember eating my first burger as if it was just yesterday. My parents treated me to one at Wimpy in Hatfield some 30 years ago… What a delight! Boosted by the child imagination, for a long time this was the ultimate burger: juicy, tender and heavenly delicious. Careful not to spoil those childhood memories I do not eat in this restaurant anymore but I still love treating myself to a good burger from time to time.

While nowadays we are spoiled for choices as virtually all eateries tend to sell burgers, a truly delicious patty is hard to find. At GrowHay we believe the best burgers are cooked at home and generously shared with friends and family. We have been using the same recipe for years, occasionally experimenting with different ingredients.

The secret of a burger lies in the patty. We would choose our meat from the local butcher and have it minced while we are waiting.  There are certainly more convenient ways of purchasing meat but nothing compares with the freshness and plumpness of the meat taken straight from the butchers hook!

Having secured your quality meat it is important to treat it with care. Even the best ingredients tend to lose their taste when burned! We love our burger barbecued over smoldering wood just until the center is medium.  The burger must remain moist to the point it dribbles down your chin when eaten… Best though if the juices get captured in the bun. We make ours from a brioche dough, which rather inconveniently takes well over 12 h to prepare.  So if you are short of time our Zaatar baps will serve you just fine.

Last tip: generous topping is essential: fragrant beef tomato, red onion rings, crispy gem heart, freshly pickled cucumber or even home-made coleslaw will complement your burger well. Remember about a good relish with a touch of acidity to cut through the fattiness of the meat…

Go on then… give it a try

Ingredients:

  • 500g lean mince or minced steak
  • 1 Medium white onion finely diced
  • 4 cloves crushed garlic
  • 1 tsp freshly chopped thyme
  • 1 tbsn freshly chopped flat parsley
  • 3 tbsn tomato puree
  • 2 tbsn tomato ketchup
  • 2 tbsn dijon mustard
  • 2 tbsn Lea and Perrins Worchester sauce
  • 1 fresh egg beaten
  • Generous pinch of freshly milled black pepper and salt

Method:

Place all ingredients in a bowl and give a good mix so they are evenly distributed. Divide off into 9 balls of equal size. Shape into a nice patty, cover with cling film and leave for at least 3 hours for the meat to relax (this is really important to get a tender burger). Lightly brush with sunflower oil and grill over wood or charcoal.

 

Serving:

Toast your brioche buns over the hot grill after you have cooked our burgers. The rest is easy: pile high with your favourite choice of summer leaves, coleslaw, pickles and of course mustard and relish…summer bliss