The ultimate burger

**wvwvw** · 01-25-2015, 03:59 AM

Lamb shank pie, stuffed pork, ultimate burgers the Saturday Kitchen host invites you into his own kitchen for some winter comfort food

Nothing is more welcome on a cold winters evening than a beefy burger

Burgers are about great meat, seasoning and nothing else… well, that’s what I learned while in America.

I worked in one of the oldest diners in the country; the menu was the size of the Bible and it ended up being a bit of a joke trying to pick something to eat.

But the burger was the reason the diner was still there after all that time. Served in a brioche bun with home-made mayo, this is the business.

Proper home comfort food. And a quick note to the blokes: if you’re considering this recipe, don’t burn it on the bloody barbecue like you do everything else.

Serves 4
800g (1lb 12oz) minced beef steak
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 egg yolks
1tbsp Dijon mustard
300ml (10fl oz) rapeseed oil
25g (1oz) wholegrain or beer mustard
Juice of ½ a lemon
2tbsp vegetable oil
4 brioche rolls, halved
4tbsp mild chilli relish
½ a round lettuce, leaves separated
2 tomatoes, sliced
200g (7oz) cheese slices, preferably Monterey Jack
8 gherkins, sliced
1 red onion, sliced

Put the minced meat in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper, then divide into four and form into patties. Set on a plate, cover and place in the fridge for one hour to firm up.

Heat a griddle pan to hot or, if you are cooking in the summer, prepare your barbecue so the flames have died down and the coals are just glowing.

Whisk together the egg yolks and Dijon mustard then, still whisking, add the rapeseed oil in a very thin trickle to make a mayonnaise; the mixture should be thick yet light once all the oil is incorporated. Stir in the wholegrain mustard or beer mustard and lemon juice and season to taste.

Rub the patties with the vegetable oil, then place on the griddle and grill on each side for three or four minutes. Place each brioche cut side down on to the griddle and cook for one minute, then set aside.

To assemble the burger, place some relish on the base of each bun, top with lettuce, tomatoes, the burger, cheese, mustard mayo, gherkins and red onion (or whatever order you like), then top with the bun lids. Place the burgers on serving plates and secure with wooden skewers, if you like.