I’m not sure about you, but in my neck of the woods there is absolutely nowhere to get a good burger from!
Burger King does a great burger and chips, I say unapologetic, but there are none in my area despite the rather puzzling amount of Burger King adverts teasing you throughout the town!
There is a McDonald’s close, where isn’t there one?, but….I have my self respect and taste buds intact so there’s only one option left!
Make it myself!
This recipe doesn’t have me making the beef patties by hand, mainly because I can get a great beef burger at my local supermarket!
Supermarkets are getting better, they still have a way to go with fruit, vegetables and fish but for meats there are actually some great places around!
If you can’t find a great beef pattie get some beef mince from a local butcher with a high amount of fat in it.
The key factors for the beef in a great burger is a lot of fat to keep the burger moist when cooking and a lot of meat!
Do try to get a high meat content in your burger.
I do have to beg though, don’t use frozen burgers…they’re just….not nice..
Even if they do look cheaper by weight, they have a lot of water in them and it weighs a lot!
Of course, to go with the burger there has to be chips or fries.
I’m going to describe mine as fries since they are thin but make ‘em chunky and have chips as you wish!
Pepper’s Beef Burgers With Sweet Potato Fries
Serves 2
Ingredients
For the beef burgers
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 fresh beef burgers
1 Spanish onion
1 Large vine ripened tomato
2 fresh buns, soft or crispy, your choice!
Sauces of choice, I used home-made mayonnaise.
Salt to season
2 Skewers to keep the burgers upright
For the sweet potato fries
500g sweet potatoes
Salt to season
Oil and deep fat fryer for frying
Method
Remove the beef burgers from the fridge and let rest while you prepare the sweet potatoes.
Peel and cut the sweet potatoes into 5mm thin chips and place them in a pot of cold water seasoned with salt.
Bring to the boil and cook until part boiled.
Preheat the oven to 220oc.
Meanwhile, heat an oven-proof frying pan up on a high heat and heat for a few minutes, add the vegetable oil halfway through heating, until the pan is very hot!
Gently place in the beef burgers and fry on one side until golden brown.
Turn the beef burgers over and place straight in the preheated oven,15 minutes for well done, less depending on burger size, thickness and for medium or rare.
Next, cut the onion and tomato across into large rings and take 4 of the largest pieces from the middle of each.
Remove the seeds from the tomato to keep it from being watery and if visible, remove the tough, thin membrane on the inside edge of the onion rings.
Drain the sweet potato fries thoroughly and let them stand to steam dry themselves while you preheat a deep fay fryer to 220oc.
When the burgers have finished cooking, take them from the oven and cover them loosely with foil, this will keep them juicy so is essential!
Cut the burger buns in half and lightly brush their top and bottoms with a little vegetable oil, place them on a baking tray and in the same preheated oven place the buns in to toast, 2 -3 minutes.
Fry the sweet potatoes until crisp then drain off extra oil and season with salt.
Finally put together the burger by placing the bottom bun on a plate topped with onion and tomato rings, the burger, sauces of choice, onion and tomato rings again and then finally the top bun.
Place a skewer though each bun to keep it sturdy and serve with sweet potato fries on the side!
