Introduction
Today I am posting about something that I do not often post about, my food creations in the kitchen. The main reason is probably because my wife is such sensational cook, chef quality, who loves to cook, therefore my services are not often required in the kitchen. Today was different as my wife had an extremely busy day and just was not going to have the time to prepare and make dinner.
Call in the emergency backup team, ME! Normally I would just a get a call at work asking me to pick up some takeaway on the way home, but today circumstances were different as I was not at work due to COVID-19 work from home arrangements, there was defrosted mince that had to be used.
Well I decided to accept the mission and went into action!
The Mission
Prepare dinner for seven hungry mouths. Enough for four adults and three children. Children who like flavour but cannot handle anything with too much spice.
The Core Ingredient
- Beef Mince - Enough for seven hungry family members.
The Buns
- Fresh Burger Buns - Soft, fresh and big enough to match the size of the burger patties.
The Supporting Ingredients
- Panko Bread Crumbs - To help bind the hamburgers and keep them juicy.
- Worcestershire Sauce – Flavour that is deep, smoky and delicious, but not too spicy for the kids.
- Egg – Another key to binding all of the ingredients together without drying out.
- Milk – The enzymes in milk work to soften and tenderise the minced beef.
- Seasoning - Some salt, onion powder and pepper, to get the flavour just right.
The Topping Ingredients
- Sliced Cucumber
- Sliced Brown Onion
- Sliced Red Capsicum
- Sliced Carrots
- Fresh Cos Lettuce
- Sliced Beetroot from a tin
- Chopped Pineapple Pieces from a tin (I'd normally used sliced pineapple)
The Preparation Process
The good news for all the rookie chefs out there like myself, this process is very straight forward and easy to follow. If I can make these, you will have no trouble at all.
Set out a large mixing bowl on the bench. Add the beef mince and all the supporting ingredients (panko bread crumbs, one whole egg, Worcestershire sauce and seasoning).
Once the mixture is well combined and smooth, it is time to shape your burger patties. You can make them as large or small as you like. I found these cool silicone moulds that my wife normally uses for baking. They were just the right size for the burger patties I wanted to create and perfect size for the burger buns.
After gently removing the silicone moulds, I pressed down in the middle of each of the burger patties with a table spoon. The reason for doing this is to prevent the burgers from puffing up while they cook.
Now for the fun part, let's cook! This is the one area that I am confident, cooking a good burger. Place your burger patties in a frying pan or on the grill, I chose to use a frying pan. Pour a thin layer of olive oil in the base of the pan and allowed it to heat up. Once the pan was sizzling hot, added your burger patties. I char my burgers on the outside, but like to keep them nice and juicy on the inside. If you overcook the patties, they will be too dry on the inside.
Once the burgers are nicely charred and you are confident they are cooked through, it is time to serve your creations. This evening everyone was running late for dinner, so I had to store the patties for a bit before they got home. It is always handy to have a good stainless steel bowl that keeps in the heat. Even though the patties sat in the bowl for about ten minutes, they were still hot and juicy when everyone was ready to eat.
Finally it is time to assemble your masterpiece. I love this part of the process, because everyone makes their burger the way they like it. Some people feel the need to add every single topping available (this is me), while others selectively chose their desired topping combinations.
During our dinner, we even had someone assemble a 'Naked Burger', which is basically a burger patty with all the toppings, but without the bun. This is the perfect alternative for someone who is gluten free or following a low carbohydrate meal plan.
Conclusion
Everyone loved their dinner and thought the burgers were delicious. As the burgers accompanied with lots of fresh toppings, they were quite healthy. It felt great providing a good meal for the family after their long and busy days.
Who knows my wife might even call on my services more frequently from now on and not just in emergency situations. Watch this space, if I start to post more foodie posts over the next few months, then you know I have garnered the confidence of my wife to prepare meals for the family on a more regular basis.
