Homemade Hamburgers

Ingredients:

400 g minced lean beef meat

1/2 small onion, chopped finely

1 egg, lightly whisked

1 tbsp bread crumbs

1 teaspoon olive oil

Dash of Worcestershire sauce

Bunch of fresh parsley leaves, chopped finely

4 hamburger buns, halved

4 slices cheddar cheese or similar (here Dutch Oud belegen)

Bunch of  lettuce leaves

1 tomato, sliced

4 gherkins / pickles, sliced

2 tbsp mayonnaise (optional)

2 tbsp ketchup (optional)

1 tbsp mustard (optional)

1/2 red onion, sliced into circles (optional)

1 avocado, peeled and sliced (optional)

4 Pancetta slices (optional)

Tabasco sauce (optional)

Pinch of chili powder (optional)

salt&pepper

*

Since they managed to get a brand new "hamburger making machine" on the King's Day flea market for 4 Euros, they had to try to make their own hamburgers, that was without a doubt. The device has proven to work fine but its cleaning wasn't that joyful :).

The basic way how to make your own hamburgers from minced beef is as follows. Place the beef mince, onion, Worcestershire sauce, bit of parsley, breadcrumbs and egg in large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Mix with your hands until evenly combined. Divide the mixture into 4 equal portions. Shape each portion with your hands into a patty. It is recommended to put the patties (covered with plastic wrap) in a fridge for about half an hour to rest so that the chilling helps them hold together during cooking.

Now, if you have a hamburger making machine, you can just place the patties on the upper part made of non stick material (Teflon) and fry. At the same time you can place the buns into the casket opening from the side and close it while the heat from the upper pan part will warm them up. Smart ha? :)

If you don't have the machine, just use any non-stick frying pan over medium-low heat and cook half the patties for about 4 minutes on each side or until browned and cooked through. It is important to cook mince right through. Heat up an oven or a toaster and warm up the buns. Even better, the best would be to use the outside barbecue grill if the weather and occasion allows so.

The fun part about making your own hamburgers is to experiment with different ingredients. She wrapped her patty with Pancetta bacon and placed some Dutch Oude Kaas on top of the patty towards the end of its cooking. You can put all sorts of things into your bun once it is warmed up. She used a bit of mayo and mustard,  he loved ketchup as well. Always put some tomato and lettuce, gherkins are also great. This time she made a Mexican version and topped up her burger with some avocado slices and seasoned it with Tabasco and a pinch of chili powder.

The options are numerous. You can also use mushrooms, red pepper, blue cheese, bacon, and different types of meats -chicken or lamb instead of beef. You can even top your burger with fried egg. Just have fun and experiment. 

Bon Appetit!