THE ULTIMATE CHEESEBURGER
Who can resist the ultimate cheeseburger?! This one has cheese both in and on top of the patty, and a special gherkin sauce. Yum!
I always leave the supermarket feeling disappointed when I go in search of burger buns! Anyone else struggle with this?! They’re either too light and lacking in substance, missing sesame seeds or not the right size/shape.
I gave up completely last time and decided to have a go creating my own (the ones you see pictured). I haven’t managed to perfect the recipe yet but as soon as I do I’ll share it with you! In the meantime, do you have any suggestions for great store-bought burger buns?
Apart from finding a good bun, I have two tips for the ultimate cheeseburger! First, don’t skimp on the sauce – it’s what makes these burgers really cheeseburgery. And second, make sure you use crunchy lettuce. Darker green, softer salad leaves just don’t produce the same result. Happy eating!
THE ULTIMATE CHEESEBURGER
Who can resist the ultimate cheeseburger?! This one has cheese both in and on top of the patty, and a special gherkin sauce. Yum!
Ingredients
BURGER PATTIES
- 1 carrot
- 2 cloves garlic
- 500 g prime beef mince (1lb 2oz)
- 1/3 cup finely grated parmesan cheese (30g)
- 1 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 beef stock cube
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 4 slices cheddar cheese
WEDGES
- 750 g potatoes (i.e. Agria) (1lb 10oz)
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
TO SERVE
- 2 whole gherkins
- 1/3 cup plain, unsweetened yoghurt (80ml)
- 3 Tbsp mayonnaise
- 2 Tbsp tomato sauce
- 1/2 Tbsp American mustard
- 2 tomatoes
- 1 small red onion
- 4 burger buns
- 4 large iceberg lettuce leaves
Instructions
Preheat oven to 200ºC (390ºF) fan bake and line two large oven trays with baking paper.
PREPARE PATTIES
Grate carrot and crush garlic. Add carrot, garlic, mince, parmesan, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce and crumbled beef stock cube to a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Use your hands to mix until just combined, then shape mixture into 4 patties slightly larger than the size of your burger buns (patties will shrink during cooking).
MAKE WEDGES
Scrub potatoes clean and cut into wedges. Place in a clean plastic bag or container with oil and paprika. Season with salt and pepper and shake to coat. Place in a single layer on one of the trays and bake for 20 minutes, until golden brown and crisp on the edges.
COOK PATTIES
Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the patties (you may need to do this in batches) and gently press down with a spatula. Cook for about 5 minutes each side, until cooked through.
PREPARE SERVING INGREDIENTS
While patties cook, finely dice gherkins. Whisk together yoghurt, mayo, tomato sauce and mustard. Stir in gherkins and season to taste. Thinly slice tomatoes and red onion.
Place burger patties on remaining oven tray and top with slices of cheese. Cut buns in half and place these on the tray too. Place in oven for 1-2 minutes, until cheese has melted and buns are warm.
SERVE
Spread gherkin sauce on the bottom half of each bun, then top with lettuce, cheesy burger patty, tomato, onion and more sauce, followed by the top half of the bun. Serve with wedges on the side.
Recipe Notes
WINE MATCH: A beer or a Pinot Noir.
GLUTEN-FREE OPTION: Use a gluten-free stock cube. Ensure mayo and tomato sauce are gluten-free. Use gluten-free burger buns (gluten-free pita pockets are a good option too).
INGREDIENT NOTES / SWAPS: Try kumara wedges instead of potato.
BBQ OPTION: Burger patties can be cooked on the BBQ. Make a shallow indent in the centre of each pattie – this helps prevent the patties from shrinking on the grill.
STORING AND REHEATING: Store each component separately. Burger patties can be reheated in the microwave, oven or frying pan. Wedges are best reheated in the oven to avoid them going soggy. Assemble burgers just before serving.
