The one thing I hated most that my mother cooked when I was growing up was beef burger patties. I loved most of the things she cooked, but when she cooked these . . . I absolutely hate hated them. She was quite thrifty and used to buy the cheapest mince her money could buy and they were always full of gristle and sometimes even pieces of bone. I have a really strong gag reflex . . . and if I got a piece of gristle or bone in my mouth that was it. I was off! Say no more!
You could not get me to eat beef mince in anything at all when I was a child . . . and in fact I spent ages picking it out of anything that had it in it. At the end of any meal that contained beef mince . . . there would be a little pile of it on the side of my plate. I was an expert at routing it out!
I try to buy extra lean ground beef mince if I can. And ground steak if possible. It is still the texture thing. I do eat it occasionally and I try to enjoy it when I do. It's a lot easier for me to enjoy it if there isn't any nasty stuff in it.
These Mushroom Sauced Burgers are really quite good. There is nothing in them but a bit of seasoning and some potato flakes, milk and the meat. You could certainly add garlic and onion if you wished, but if you use really good meat you shouldn't have to. They are mixed and then shaped into patties and browned well on both sides.
A delicious gravy is made from the drippings, using thinly sliced onions and fresh mushrooms . . . flavoured with some tomato puree and a nice beef stock . . . and some cooking sherry or port. This adds a nice depth of flavor. Simply seasoned and thickened with flour, you end up with a delicious gravy. The burgers are then returned to the pan and simmered in the gravy, until meltingly tender. The whole thing is gorgeously delicious. Mashed potatoes on the side are perfect with these.
*Mushroom Sauced Burgers*Serves 4Printable Recipe
Hearty and meant to be served sans bun with plenty of gravy to spoon over a pile of lovely mash. A vegetable on the side and you have a meal fit for a king.
120ml of while milk (1/2 cup)7 TBS of instant potato flakes (not granules, flakes)500g extra lean minced beef (1 pound)fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper4 TBS butter1 medium onion, peeled, halved and sliced thin500g white closed cup mushrooms, trimmed and sliced thin (1 pound)1 TBS tomato puree (tomato paste)2 TBS plain flour (all purpose)405ml of beef stock (1 3/4 cup)60ml of ruby port or sherry
Put the potato flakes into a bowl. Whisk in the milk. Add the beef and salt and black pepper to taste. Knead together until well combined. Shape into 4 evenly sized patties which are 1/2 inch thick. Place on a plate and cover. Chill in the refrigerator for at least half an hour, or for up to four hours.
Melt 1 TBS of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the beef patties and cook until well browned on each side, about 10 minutes in all. Transfer to a plate and keep warm. Add the remaining butter to the skillet along with the sliced onion. Cook until the onion is softened without browning, about 5 minutes or so. Add the mushrooms and some seasoning. Cook until any liquid has evaporated. Stir in the tomato puree and the flour. Cook until browned. Slowly stir in the beef stock and the port. Bring to a simmer. Return the beef patties to the skillet, over and simmer over medium low heat for 12 to 15 minutes until cooked through and the flavours have melded well. Taste and adjust gravy as desired. Serve hot with plenty of mashed potatoes on the side.
