Mince is pretty much a family staple in most households. Use it to stuff vegetables (mixed with a dash of herbs, some egg and breadcrumbs) and as a filling for samoosas, rotis, vetkoek or even to fill savoury pancakes. Other favourites are meat loaf and meat balls and, of course, hamburger patties.
How to make a patty
To make a good hamburger is simplicity itself: all you need is about 250g coarsely minced beef to which finely chopped flavourings such as herbs, capers and onion is added. Some like to add a spoonful of Worcestershire sauce, but ‘stretchers’ such as breadcrumbs are, strictly speaking, forbidden.
Gently form the beef into a ball without crushing it and flatten to a patty about 2.5 cm thick. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and grill or pan-fry over high heat for 4 to 12 minutes until done as you like it. That’s it. Much easier than pie.
*If you are vegetarian, you can use soya mince as a substitute.
5 Recipes to try with mince:
1. Bolognaise (ragu) sauce
3. Tacos filled with savoury mince
4. Lamb kofta on rosemary skewers
5. Avo and mushroom burgers