Without a doubt the mighty beef hamburger would have to be one of the most familiar and loved foods invented by man. While not eaten by all folk on a regular basis, the hamburger has played a significant part in all our lives as one of the dreaded “munchies”.
Economically the burger and its fast-food cousins are part of a 570 billion US dollar annual global economy. McDonald’s economic standing, if it were a country, would place it 96th in turnover, akin to the economies of the small Baltic states. The burger is so powerful and universal, the Economist newspaper created “The Big Mac Index”, which is used to track purchasing power in each country around the globe using the cost of a Big Mac as the price benchmark.
The origins of the hamburger, nee beef burger, are contested: the Europeans point to the quality minced beef patties of Hamburg, Germany, in the mid-19th century, while Stateside there are unresolved competing claims from Texas to New Haven. In fact, back in ancient Rome, burger patties were made out of all sorts of things and seasoned with garum (the ketchup of ancient Rome) – something I imagine few would enjoy today.
The burger will always be a contender for the barbecue as its broad appeal is unassailable. For the vegan there are vegan burgers and for the coeliac there are gluten-free burger buns, so no one has to miss out on the fun.
There are 10,000 recipes out there for beef hamburger patties. The one I use is based on Jamie Oliver’s best beef burger: a simple, no-frills and honest burger experience.
Beef Burger Pattie
Ingredients:
- 12 plain cream crackers
- 8 sprigs of flat leaf parsley
- 500g quality minced beef (twice minced)
- 2 heaped tablespoons Dijon mustard (optional)
- 1 large egg
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Olive oil for coating
Method:
Pulse the crackers in a food processor until they are like coarse breadcrumbs, finely chop the parsley with stems, then add all the ingredients into a bowl and mix well by hand.
Using a scale or if you have a good eye measure out approximately 100g lumps of burger patty mixture. Line a tray with baking paper, then using your hands and pressure shape each clump into a tight ball, place on the baking paper and press down with the palm of your hand until it becomes a patty. Pour a spot of olive oil on the top of the patty, rub it in, turn over the patty and do the same thing with the other side. Cover with cling wrap and place in the fridge to rest until needed.
I’m not going to tell you how to barbecue your hamburgers; everyone has their own holy hand book and preferences that they swear by.
Enjoy.
