Gourmet Burger - The Recipe
A smashburger may be great, but let's not forget about the beloved pub-style gourmet burger. This recipe may well make this type of burger your new favourite....
In today’s newsletter we’re covering all things gourmet burger. Yes, we all love a smashburger, however it’s becoming increasingly so that our beloved pub-style burger is being thrown to side with all these newly trending smash burger joints. Don’t get me wrong, I can easily get behind a good smashburger, however there is something about a thicker, juicier, gourmet burger that just hits different…
Here are some reasons why I love a gourmet style burger and why you should to:
Juiciness: Larger patties made of better quality meats. What comes with that? More juices and beautifully tender, melt-in your-mouth, meaty patties.
Better scope for a balance of flavours: Rich, fat, sweet, tangy, umami, nutty.. you name it! We have these all covered. The variety you can get from delicious base sauces, to various toppings, sharp cheeses and flavour bomb burger patties, the gourmet style burger is the perfect burger to pack in a plethora of flavours. In this recipe, we keep it to three essential toppings which are balance perfectly with each other, but in reality, there is no limit…
With the summer slowly approaching and as everyone starts to dust of their BBQs, this recipe will show you how to create a beautiful gourmet burger, at home.. enough to win over anyone amongst your family and friends!
Essential Ingredients Explained:
The Burger Patty: Typically only made from two ingredients, beef burger patties can so often be overlooked when trying to recreate the perfect gourmet burger at home. In this recipe I’ll be showing you how to make the ultimate patty, that is packed full of flavour. We’ll be grinding our own mince, but not to worry, option 2 in this recipe can be used instead as the easier alternative - a good quality ground beef mince from you local butcher will work very well too. The below combinations allow for a burger with well balanced flavours and textures.
The blend of meats we’ll be using:
Beef short ribs: Fattier and full of rich flavours.
Hangar steak: Leaner yet packed with beefy flavours (this is arguably one of the most ‘beefy’ cuts)
Bone marrow OR pork back fat: To make this burger more unique and to take it to the next level we’ll be adding in extra fat in the form of bone marrow or pork back fat. Bone marrow, being the more accessible option, is rich and packed with so much beefy flavour. This works really well in all kinds of burger. The other option is pork back fat. The addition of subtle porky flavours make this burger unique and very flavoursome. It pairs really well with the other two cuts of meat being used. Using the pork fat, the burger will take on that slight look and texture of a sausage, with delicious specks of pork fat dotted throughout. Not only do these help achieve a golden brown crust on the burger itself, but the they keep this burger incredibly moist and juicy, no matter how well-done you cook it. Either route you choose, adding extra fat into your burger will level it up above and beyond anything you’ve tried making at home before.
Potato Burger Buns: When it comes to a gourmet burger, you need a light and fluffy bun to pair with the rich flavours from the meat and cheese. This is where potato buns come into play. With the added mashed potato, they are transformed into the lightest and softest buns you could ever imagine. Don’t get me wrong, I adore a Japanese milk bread bun (something I have vouched for a lot in the past), but when it comes to a burger like this, potato buns are the way to go. All topped with black sesame seeds for that added nuttiness chefs kiss Alternatives: Japanese milk bread or brioche buns
Toppings: As with any burger, the choice of toppings are essential to creating the ultimate bite. Unlike smash burgers, gourmet pub-style burgers can often be filled with a variety of different toppings. I’m all here for the wonderful and whacky toppings one could add, but since the meat and cheese is the star of the show in this recipe, we’re pairing it back to just a few…
Toppings used:
Homemade American-style Cheese Slices: When it comes to the ultimate slice of cheese, nothing quite hits the same as a kraft singles, bright orange slice of plastic-like cheese on a smash burger. They certainly have a 10/10 melt factor that is hard to match. This cheese may work for a smashburger, but in a gourmet burger I like to have a bit more flavour and depth to it. Often, when adding solid slices of cheddar (or a similar hard cheese), it struggles to melt well. If it does though, you can often be left with with a semi-melted, semi-hardened piece of cheese on top of your burger. This may taste amazing, however the texture isn’t always optimal. This leads onto this recipe where we take it to the next level. We get the best of both worlds, combining the two styles into one. Homemade American-style cheese for that 10/10 melting ability, made using a blend gouda and good quality cheddar for a richer, nuttier and more complex flavour. This is something that you can never find in pre made slices. Using an extra ingredient called sodium citrate (to help stabilise the cheese), we’re able to mix these two together to create the perfectly flavoured, melty cheese slice in our own kitchen, at home. Alternatives: If you’re not looking to make your own, 1 slice of American-style cheese laid on top of another slice of gouda or cheddar gives you a very good replica
Tomato Relish: With any burger, there always needs to be something to cut through those fats. This is where a tomato relish has its place. Tangy, savoury, slightly sweet and subtly spiced, this homemade relish is a perfect accompaniment. Alternatives: Another similar relish, or a whole ingredient like pickles for that added tang
Tomato relish ingredients Black Garlic Mayonnaise: Every burger needs a great base sauce to spread on the toasted buns. Mayonnaise is a staple when it comes to dressing buns, therefore we’re elevating this by incorporating a magical ingredient, black garlic. This adds a depth of flavour this isn’t overwhelming, yet instead packs it full of umami and nutty flavours. Being a more unique ingredient, if you can’t find this in your local supermarket or greengrocer, this can easily be ordered online.
Other: The above 3 toppings are all we will be adding to this burger, however if you want to add any fresh ingredients, such as sliced tomatoes (make sure to season them!) or lettuce, feel free to do so. I’ve left this out of mine because for me, this particular burger is all about the rich flavours of the meat and cheese, balanced out with the light and fluffy buns and tangy tomato relish. Each component has been thought out to pair perfectly together and create the ultimate bite. Anything overly fresh and you can start to water down those rich and delicious flavours and sometimes it just doesn’t hit the same. Equally so, if you wish to add these, the burger will no doubt still taste delicious!
So, let’s move onto the recipe, which also include a few exclusive video guides to help you…