Thursday 6 June 2013

Cheese Burgers

 











Raise your hand if you love a good cheese burger -*raises hand*. Are you with me? I know you are. You can put your hand down now and let's make some cheese burgers shall we?

A good burger is all about the meat. I grind my own brisket in my own meat grinder. I trim the brisket of excess fat, I chop it into large dice and feed it into the grinder for the best ground meat you can get your hands on baby...ahem. But if you don't own a meat grinder, ask your friendly butcher to grind it for you... smile nicely and bat your eye lashes a few times, they're suckers for that stuff.

Have these with home made fries... it's mandatory.


Cheese Burgers
slightly adapted from Food Network
Makes 6

2 tablespoons canola oil
1 small carrot, peeled and chopped
1 small red onion, peeled and chopped
1 stick celery, peeled and chopped
Sea salt flakes
1kg piece of brisket, ground with a medium size "hole" on the grinder
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
6 hamburger rolls, halved (I used sourdough rolls)
Butter, for buttering the rolls
6 slices Swiss cheese

Blitz the carrot, onion and celery in a food processor until it is a fine mush.

Heat a saucepan over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the vegetable mush and a pinch of salt and fry for about 10 minutes, until softened and lightly caramelised. Leave to cool completely.
Preheat a grill pan on medium-high heat.

In another bowl, mix the ground brisket with the mayonnaise. Season with salt to taste. Mix in the vegetables. Form the meat into six even patties.

Smear the other tablespoon of oil over the burgers and cook them on a hot grill plate, or grill pan, undisturbed, for about 2 minutes. Turn them a quarter turn and cook for 2 more minutes. Use a metal spatula to flip them on their second side and cook for an additional 2 minutes for rare to medium rare. Toast the bun halves. Butter each one. In the last 2 minutes of cooking, add the cheese on top of each burger to allow it to melt as the burgers finish cooking. Place a hamburger on a "bottom" bun , top with a bun "top" and serve immediately.

12 comments:

  1. This burger seems perfect with the veggies in it. It's a good idea! I love to grind my own meat, it's an obsession :) Your pictures are delicious Jen :)

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  2. My hand is waving, vigorously, all the way from Wisconsin!! I love this post and intend to follow your lead this weekend, right over our grill!

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  3. I was waving also. I think my butcher is kinda cute so I never mind batting an eyelash his way.

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  4. Me, me, me!! Your cheeseburgers look absolutely perfect. Will have to make a visit to my dear butcher ASAP...

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  5. I love it when someone tells me something is mandatory. Especially when it comes to eating amazing delicious food! Beautiful burger..

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  6. Ah man! I never grind my own meat. I don't actually own a grinder, but reading this post makes me want to purchase one! Your cheeseburgers look like utter meaty, cheesy perfection. That image of the melting cheese... argh. I want a burger now. Thanks for the recipe. Making it. ASAP.

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  7. Hey Gabrielle - there I go with the veggies again, there's no stopping me :0

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  8. Hey Dan. I can see you waving. Enjoy your weekend cheese burgers.

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  9. Hey Patty. I suspected you were a bit of a flirt.

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  10. Thanks Little Kitchie - give him a cute wink and you'll be set for whatever cut you ask for.

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  11. Hey Pink Patisserie. Did I ever tell you I'm a little bossy?

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  12. Hey Laura. I use my grinder a lot. I nearly always grind my own meat. That way I can control the cut of meat, how much fat goes in and that there are no additives. Plus, freshly ground meat has a better texture. It separates better, rather than clumping together when you are frying it etc. Have I convinced you to get one yet? If not, charm your butcher, I'm sure he'd be happy to grind it fresh for you. Most butchers I've ever had the pleasure to meet have been happy and eager to please. That might have something to do with my eyelash batting (or perhaps they felt sorry for me and thought I had an eye problem). In any case, they are almost always good guys.

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