Thursday 15 May 2008

Home Made Beef Burgers


I love a beef burger. A decent home made beef burger that is. I'm afraid I wouldn't give the mass produced ones house room. I prefer to know what is in my food. These are delicious and very easy. Much tastier than the junk you buy in supermarkets. Really thick and juicy. Lovely grub.
The history of hamburgers is somewhat hazy and debatable since there is no clear documentation to chronicle its origin. However, many claim that the first hamburger 'patty' was born in medieval times when the Tartars (a band of Mongolian and Turkish warriors) placed pieces of beef under their saddles [This also happens to be the origin for the modern dish, beef tartare. ] . The meat, tenderised when the warriors rode, would then be eaten raw, oblivious of the dangers of food poisoning. The ancestor of the modern hamburger arrived at American shores in the 19th Century when German immigrants brought with them a dish called Hamburg style beef, which, in turn, had been brought to Hamburg from Russia some time around the 14th Century. It was in America that this raw, chopped piece of beef would evolve over time to become the succulent patty sandwiched in a bun that we call a hamburger.

This Recipe comes from Jamie's Dinners (Jamie Oliver). The only adjustment I made was to add a little chilli sauce to the mixture which gives a lovely flavour.

  • 1kg/2lb 3oz chuck steak, or good minced steak
  • 1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
  • olive oil
  • a pinch of cumin seeds
  • 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
  • sea salt and freshly ground
  • black pepper
  • a handful of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 heaped tablespoon
  • English mustard
  • 1 large free-range egg
  • 115g/4oz breadcrumbs

If you're using chuck steak to make your burgers, slice it up and pulse it in a food processor. Transfer the meat to a bowl. In a big frying pan, slowly cook the onion in a little olive oil for about 5 minutes until softened but not coloured. Add the onion to the meat - it will give sweetness to the burger. Using a pestle and mortar, bash up the cumin and coriander seeds with a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper until fine and add to the meat. Then add the Parmesan, mustard, egg and half the breadcrumbs and mix well. If the mixture is too sticky, add a few more breadcrumbs.

Lay some greaseproof paper on a tray or large plate and sprinkle over some of the remaining breadcrumbs. Shape the meat into 8 fat burgers and place these on top of the crumbs on the tray. Sprinkle more crumbs on top and press down gently. The burgers are better if they are chilled before cooking, so put them in the fridge for an hour or so. Take your burgers out of the fridge and fry them in a little oil on a medium to high heat for about 8 to 10 minutes.





23 comments:

Thinking About Food said...

I must say I havent bought a 'commercial' burger for many years and I almost always make my own mince so I now exactly what is going into it! Aren't food processors excellent?!!!!

Anonymous said...

Absolutely gorgeous.
I wouldn't give a frozen shop bought one room in the house either - why go for chewy, goodness knows what ingredients when you can make your own so easily?

xxx

Oh my! Apple pie! said...

I always make my own burgers, I don't trust shop bought ones.
Yours look very tastey.

Anonymous said...

No grill, no burger.

DocChuck said...

ANOTHER "burger" recipe?

There are a million "burger" recipes on the blogs, most of them far more creative than this.

And as far as Jamie Oliver goes, he is such a twit. At least I obtained a formal education at Peter Kump's Culinary Institute in Brooklyn, NY.

Oliver could do with some education himself.

I'm just sayin' ...

Anonymous said...

Looks lovely Granny. As usual!
Kerryannexx

MrsDocChuck said...

Well, I am once again posting as MrsDocChuck . . . the wannabee wife of the famous DocChuck.

But, I am still stuck with the the 450 pound "Big Bear" who everyone on the food blogs knows.

Now that I am an executive at SeriousEats, I have become world famous.

So, I do NOT consider burger recipes to be worthy of my comments.

Anonymous said...

Great burgers.... they really look yummy and moist. It is so hard to find a really nice burger recipe; I find mine often fall apart when I cook them!

Nickki said...

Yum, they look gorgeous Granny. Like the idea of adding the chilli sauce :) xxx

Vicky said...

Great burgers Granny. I like the additon of the spices, must try this next time.
Vicky xxx

Sally said...

Lovely burgers Brenda. As Iesha would say."Yum Yum Pigs Bum."
x x x x

Kerry said...

Yum, they look great, like the idea of the chilli sauce, I'll have to try this next time.

Rhyleysgranny said...

Thank you all for your lovely comments. Much appreciated xxx

Chiffonade/Doc Chuck- Thank you we are all refreshed and challenged by your unique point of view. Did you eat an extra bowl of stupid for breakfast this morning?

test it comm said...

Nice looking burgers!

Anonymous said...

You can't beat a homemade burger and those look particularly good. Love the addition of chilli sauce.

hungryandfrozen said...

Lol Granny. I love making homemade burgers. Yours look fantastic. Cumin, mustard, parmesan - delicious!

Sally said...

Beats Macca's any day and every day of the week. LOL
"Extra bowl of stupid"
Love it.

Sarah Nicole said...

Oh my! How dare you make a burger for dinner. How common and typical.


..... JUST KIDDING! They look so delicious and moist. But you know what I love more than your picture of the actual burger... the little guy at the bottom. Hehehe I love the little pictures you managed to find on the web. I can't wait until your grandkids grow up and realize how precious their granny is. Anyway, keep blogging woman, 'cause you've uncovered a hidden talent by doing so.
Much love,
Sarah from Violets

Rhyleysgranny said...

Bless you Sarah :) xxx

Gloria Baker said...

These burgers look sooo yummy!! xxGloria

Anonymous said...

Granny! I love you. You gave me such a good laugh!

Good looking burgers!

Rosie said...

Absolutely gorgeous Brenda!! You know what is in a burger when you make your own ;)

Rosie x

Paola Westbeek said...

Hi! I Found you! ;) I had sent you an email from the Expatica article but I should've just googled you! Lovely blog, gorgeous photos and awesome food- I am going to add you too!

The link to my food articles on Expatica should be this one though:
http://www.expatica.com/nl/life_in/blog_list.html
and the name is "Paola Cooks it Up". If you scroll down you will see just a few writings updated a couple of times a month. I have all of my work on my company site, so if you're ever curious for a read, just drop me a line and I'll send you a link!


Greetings,
Paola