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Food in focus |  |
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Hamburgers
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There are so many stories about the origin of the hamburger that it alone will take up a couple of pages, not to mention start a heated debate.
But the one story we like to believe to be true started way back in Mongolia where Mongolian and Turkish tribes known as Tartars often shredded low-quality beef from Asian cattle to make it more edible and digestible. Russian Tartars eventually introduced it to Germany before the 14th century where it was flavoured with regional spices and either cooked or ate raw (steak tartare). It became a standard meal for poorer classes and in Hamburg acquired the name 'Hamburg steak'.
The steak travelled to the United States with German immigrants in the late 19th century where it was served as a cooked patty between slices of bread (and later a bun). This is where the fights start, and many American food fundus claim to hold the truth on the origin of the American hamburger.
While some say 'Steak cooked Hamburg Style' was sold in New York city harbour to the dozens of German sailors passing through the port, while the other story we'd most like to believe is that told by the Lassen family of New Haven, Connecticut. Louis Lassen apparently served the first 'burger' at his New Haven luncheonette called Louis' Lunch Wagon. A frugal business man, he didn't like to waste the excess beef from his daily lunch rush and ground up some scraps of beef, cooked it and served it between pieces of toasted bread to customers who were in a hurry and wanted to eat on the run. Kenneth Lassen, Louis' grandson, was quoted in the September 25, 1991 Athens Daily Review as saying;
'We have signed, dated and notarized affidavits saying we served the first hamburger sandwiches in 1900. Other people may have been serving the steak but there's a big difference between a hamburger steak and a hamburger sandwich.' For more information on the dubious history of the American burger, visit What's Cooking in America
When choosing mince for your homemade burger, go for lean mince with around 15% to 20% fat (not extra lean, and not regular ground beef). If the mince has too much fat your patty will distort and shrink to nothing as the heat melts the fat and it runs out. Too lean, and it won't be cohesive enough to cook well, and will stick to the grill mercilessly. And it just won't taste that good.
The best burgers are made with chuck (a tasty cut from the shoulder section) because it is high in flavour, contains 15-20% fat and is not composed of miscellaneous scraps. If you want to cut down on the fat and still maintain decent flavour, mix in some ground sirloin. If you're serious about your burger, buy whole chuck and/or sirloin and grind it yourself in your food processor. Take care not to over-grind the meat into a pulp; it should be course rather than fine.
The perfect beef burger is easy to make. Take equal amounts of ground chuck and sirloin (say 250 g of each) or chuck and mix with half a teaspoon of Kosher salt. Make a patty at least 3/4-inch/2 centimeters thick and mould it into a circle slightly larger than the bun you'll put it on. Sprinkle with seasoned salt and pepper on both sides to help create the desired slightly charred crust.
Heat a cast iron pan or griddle over medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes. A steel frying pan is fine as well, but cast iron retains heat better and will give that nice crust on the burger. Test the pan by sprinkling some water drops on it. If they just sit there, it's not hot enough. If they splatter and vaporise, the pan's too hot. If they bounce around and evaporate in a few seconds, your pan is ready.
Place the hamburger patties in the pan and regardless of how tempted you are, do not press them down; it will only squeeze out the juices and possibly break the patty. For medium-rare burgers (which are fine as long as you know what the mince contains and where it came from), cook the patties for 4 minutes on each side. For medium burgers, cook the patties for 5 minutes on each side. Flip the burgers only once during cooking.
If you like your patty well done, cook them for about 8 to 9 minutes a side (when the blood starts to appear on the surface, it's time to turn the patty over). Make sure your meat is done by piercing the patty with a fork to make sure no more blood is oozing out. If grease appears from the fork holes, your patty is done. Professional cooks learn to judge the doneness by touch: medium-rare is softly yielding, medium is semifirm, well-done is firm.
If you're making cheeseburgers, place a slice of cheese on the patty while still warm so that it melts into the meat.
Burgers needn't only be made of beef; minced ostrich, turkey, chicken, lamb, fish (salmon, snoek, tuna) and pork all make a decent burger, as does mixes of lentils, beans and vegetables. Here are some quick recipes:
Mediterranean Beef Burgers
Mix 1,5 kg lean beef mince, 10 ml grated lemon rind,3 crushed garlic cloves, salt, pepper and 15 ml chopped fresh oregano. Shape into 8 burgers and fry in heated oil until done. Serve with grilled tomato slices and crumbled feta cheese on slices of toasted Italian bread such as ciabatta
Chicken Burgers
Mix 800 g minced chicken, 2 rashers chopped bacon, 80 ml grated Parmesan cheese, 3 chopped chives and 1 egg. Season with salt and pepper. Shape into 4 burgers and fry in a little heated oil until done. Serve on buttered rolls with shredded lettuce. Mash an avocado, mix with 125 g cottage cheese and 30 ml lemon juice. Spoon on burgers. Click here for moreChicken burger recipes.
Fish Burgers
Purée 600 g boned white fish, 1 egg, 1 ml cumin, 1 ml paprika and 2 ml garlic salt in a food processor until smooth. Shape into 4 balls, flatten slightly and pan-fry in oil until done. Lightly toast 4 slices of brown bread and top with the fish burgers and a few cucumber strips. Blend 180 ml plain yoghurt and 15 ml chopped fresh mint or dill and spoon over the cucumber. Click here for a Salmon burger recipe.
Pork Burgers
Mix 600 g minced pork, 125 ml fresh breadcrumbs, 1 egg,1 grated onion, 2 finely chopped garlic cloves, 30 ml chopped fresh mint, 30 ml chopped fresh coriander leaves, 30 ml Worcester sauce, 15 ml tomato sauce, salt and pepper. Shape into 4 burgers. Fry until done. Serve burgers on fresh rolls with lettuce and mayonnaise. Garnish with chopped sweet piquante peppers (Peppadews). Click here for more Pork burger recipes.
Vegetarian Burgers
Cook 250 ml red lentils in water until soft and drain. Heat oil in a pan and sauté 2 sliced onions until soft. Add 15 ml curry powder and stir-fry. Leave to cool. Place 1 can (410 g) chickpeas, half the lentils, 15 ml grated fresh ginger, 1 egg and onion mixture in a food processor and process until smooth. Spoon the mixture into a large dish and add the remaining lentils, 30 ml parsley, 60 ml chopped fresh coriander and 500 ml fresh breadcrumbs. Season with salt and pepper. Shape the mixture into 10 uniform burgers and dust them with flour. Heat a griddle pan over high heat and fry the burgers for 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until brown. Mix 125 ml sour cream, 125 ml plain yoghurt, 1 garlic clove, crushed, 2 ml honey, 50 ml chopped fresh coriander and 30 ml chopped fresh parsley and serve the burgers and sauce on fresh Portuguese breadrolls with lettuce, tomato, onion and cucumber slices.
Click here for a Lentil burger recipe.
Toppings, greens, base options and sauces
Top your burger with any or a combination of these:
Replace iceberg lettuce with Romaine, Cos or curly. For more information read up on the different kinds of lettuce
Toasted sesame buns aren't the only base options. Try Onion buns; Bacon rolls; Cheese-and-onion soda bread rolls; Homemade rolls; Bruschetta or Italian Ciabatta.
For sauces try different types of homemade mayonnaise; Avocado and tomato salsa, Madagascan pepper sauce; Guacamole; Mustard sauce; Asian-style chilli and ginger sauce; Tangy barbecue sauce; Sweet and sour sauce and/or a variety of Salad dressings.
To round off your homemade junkfood treat, make perfect chips, add two litres of homemade lemonade, and you're having a healthy party. That's if you don't add Chocolate burgers to the menu...
Below are some handpicked burger recipes for you to try, but for a whole lot more, click to find 22 more burger recipes or 23 ideas for all manner of patties.
Note: This article was originally mentioned in the weekly food24 newsletter. Subscribe to the food24 newsletter and stay up to date with the latest recipes, happenings, competitions, food info and more.
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Pefectly cooked patty
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