We’ve come to associate hamburgers with fast food. If you were to sum up the fast food industry in a phrase it could possibly be ‘a burger and chips please’. I think it’s high time to wrestle the burger back from its time as a cheap, snack-y and relatively unhealthy fast food that’s often used as a late night sponge for too much beer. It has been residing on the culinary fringes for far too long and needs to be restored to a more dignified position.
I have been having such thoughts about burgers recently and then at a party over the weekend they served…. (drum roll)…. real, juicy, meaty home made hamburgers in soft floury buns. Not a fast food chain patty, bitter, flattened gherkin slice or soggy bun in sight! Just simple good, old fashioned, high quality, meaty burgers with a wonderful relish and some fried onions; delicious.
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SOME RULES THAT SHOULD BE OBEYED.
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Never compromise on the quality of mince meat used for a burger, always buy the best you can afford.
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Be conscious of the thickness of your burger; if it’s overly thick it will be overcooked on the outside and undercooked on the inside.
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Burgers should have a consistency throughout; rare, medium or well done, but not all together.
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I find that it’s good to make a batch of burgers and leave them in the fridge for about 30 minutes to an hour before cooking. (Straight away I can hear you challenging me that for that very reason they are not fast food at all!)
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Once cooked, burgers should be treated like any other piece of meat and left to rest for about five minutes. If you have been cooking them in a pan then just take the pan off the heat and leave them there or, if you are using a griddle or grill, just transfer them to a warmed plate.
Anyone who likes beef will always be happy to tuck into a decent burger. It is a food that transcends age; children and adults alike are partial to it, with the various twists coming in the accompanying condiments. Given that homemade burgers are so easy and quick to prepare I can never understand why anyone would buy a pack of processed patties.
