A summer barbecue just isn’t a summer barbecue without a big, delicious burger on offer. You’ll find burgers of all descriptions along supermarket shelves this season, but the best ones are made from scratch.
Some burger recipes are more complicated than necessary. They actually require little more than great quality mince and some time and attention.
Did the Irish Country Living Food test kitchen go just a bit over the top with this massive double patty burger with bacon jam and Hegarty’s clothbound cheddar? Maybe.
Each patty is around 115g, or ¼ lb (just like a certain fast food chain), so if you go with one patty per burger, you are still guaranteed a delicious, stick-to-your-ribs meal.
You might be surprised at how few ingredients go into our burger mix, but we can’t reiterate this enough: an amazing burger is all about the quality of your meat.
For an all-beef burger like this one, you want to make sure you are buying prime Irish beef with a high percentage of fat. The higher the fat content, the more flavourful your burger will be.
If you’re at the supermarket, we recommend buying mince which is at least 18% fat, but your butcher will be able to make you the perfect burger mince (if you ask nicely).
The ideal ratio you’re looking for is around 20% fat to 80% meat.
We like a combination of beef cuts in our burger mince: chuck steak, short rib and even brisket are all really flavourful and, when combined, make a really amazing and memorable burger.
Some fanatics swear by eating their burgers medium or medium rare, like you would a steak. While there are many reputable restaurants around the world who serve their burgers this way, we do not recommend anyone try this at home for a few reasons:
• Mince goes through a meat grinder, which means it is exposed to much more bacteria than a whole piece of meat/steak would be.
• This means if your burger is under-done on the inside, it may be carrying bacteria which could cause serious food-borne illness.
• Restaurants who serve burgers medium or medium-rare often mince their own beef on-site, which gives them greater hygienic control, but there is always a mild risk of contracting food-borne illness from under-cooked mince.
• To avoid food-borne illness, always ensure your meat has an internal temperature of 75°C before consuming and never prepare your burger salads and toppings using the same knife or cutting board.
When making burgers, remember: they shrink while cooking so go big. \Ramona Farrelly
Our perfect homemade burger
Makes 8 single patty burgers: Ingredients
For the bacon jam:
450g streaky, rindless bacon
200g finely diced onion
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 shallots, finely chopped
2 tsp fresh thyme, finely chopped
½ tsp chilli flakes
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
60g light brown sugar
50ml apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp maple syrup
For the burger:
1kg prime Irish mince
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp salt
2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
200g Hegarty’s clothbound cheddar, grated or sliced
8 sesame seed brioche burger buns, lightly toasted
Chips and toppings, to serve
Method
1 Make the bacon jam: preheat the oven to 200°C. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Add the bacon slices to the tray; try to ensure they are laying flat and not overlapping.
2 Cook the bacon in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, or until it is crisp. Place the bacon on a platter lined with kitchen towel and collect the excess bacon fat from the tray.
3 Add 1 tbsp of bacon fat to a large, heavy-bottomed pan and heat on medium. Add the finely diced onion and cook for 5-8 minutes, or until soft. Add the shallot and garlic; cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.
4 Once the bacon has cooled, place it on a cutting board and chop until fine crumbs are achieved. Add this finely chopped bacon to the pan with the onions, shallots and garlic.
5 Keeping the heat on medium-high, add the thyme, chilli flakes, black pepper, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar and maple syrup. Stir gently and bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low.
6 Cook slowly for 20-25 minutes, until a jammy consistency has been achieved. Stir often to avoid any sticking or burning. If you find the jam is reducing too quickly, lower the heat again – you want the flavours to meld and develop over the 20-25 minutes.
7 When the bacon jam is of a sticky consistency and has cooked down, place it in a dish to cool at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
8 While the jam is cooling, make the burgers: place the beef mince in a large mixing bowl. Season with the salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce and, using your hands, mix well. Divide the meat into 8 equal balls and place on a tray lined with baking parchment.
9 Fire up your barbecue to a minimum temperature of 190°C, or a maximum of 230°C. Brush the grill with oil and shape each burger into a large disc (burgers shrink as they cook, so shape each burger into a disc slightly larger than the bun). Place the burgers on the grill and close the lid.
10 Grill the burgers for 5-10 minutes; about 5 minutes per side, until completely cooked through with a nice char on the outside.
11 Toast your burger buns (you can toast them all at the same time in a 200°C oven for 5-8 minutes). While the buns are toasting, turn off the heat on the barbecue (with the burgers still on the grill) and add a dollop of bacon jam and even portions of Hegarty’s cheddar to each burger. Close the lid to let the cheese melt from the residual heat.
12 Place each burger on a toasted bun, then serve with fresh chips, salads and plenty of delicious toppings. Let your guests help themselves to their favourite toppings – then sit back and enjoy.
Onion, gherkins, lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise, ketchup and yellow mustard.
Read more
Summer grill seekers
Buying - and cooking - the perfect steak for your summer barbeque
A summer barbecue just isn’t a summer barbecue without a big, delicious burger on offer. You’ll find burgers of all descriptions along supermarket shelves this season, but the best ones are made from scratch.
Some burger recipes are more complicated than necessary. They actually require little more than great quality mince and some time and attention.
Did the Irish Country Living Food test kitchen go just a bit over the top with this massive double patty burger with bacon jam and Hegarty’s clothbound cheddar? Maybe.
Each patty is around 115g, or ¼ lb (just like a certain fast food chain), so if you go with one patty per burger, you are still guaranteed a delicious, stick-to-your-ribs meal.
You might be surprised at how few ingredients go into our burger mix, but we can’t reiterate this enough: an amazing burger is all about the quality of your meat.
For an all-beef burger like this one, you want to make sure you are buying prime Irish beef with a high percentage of fat. The higher the fat content, the more flavourful your burger will be.
If you’re at the supermarket, we recommend buying mince which is at least 18% fat, but your butcher will be able to make you the perfect burger mince (if you ask nicely).
The ideal ratio you’re looking for is around 20% fat to 80% meat.
We like a combination of beef cuts in our burger mince: chuck steak, short rib and even brisket are all really flavourful and, when combined, make a really amazing and memorable burger.
Some fanatics swear by eating their burgers medium or medium rare, like you would a steak. While there are many reputable restaurants around the world who serve their burgers this way, we do not recommend anyone try this at home for a few reasons:
• Mince goes through a meat grinder, which means it is exposed to much more bacteria than a whole piece of meat/steak would be.
• This means if your burger is under-done on the inside, it may be carrying bacteria which could cause serious food-borne illness.
• Restaurants who serve burgers medium or medium-rare often mince their own beef on-site, which gives them greater hygienic control, but there is always a mild risk of contracting food-borne illness from under-cooked mince.
• To avoid food-borne illness, always ensure your meat has an internal temperature of 75°C before consuming and never prepare your burger salads and toppings using the same knife or cutting board.
When making burgers, remember: they shrink while cooking so go big. \Ramona Farrelly
Our perfect homemade burger
Makes 8 single patty burgers: Ingredients
For the bacon jam:
450g streaky, rindless bacon
200g finely diced onion
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 shallots, finely chopped
2 tsp fresh thyme, finely chopped
½ tsp chilli flakes
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
60g light brown sugar
50ml apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp maple syrup
For the burger:
1kg prime Irish mince
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp salt
2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
200g Hegarty’s clothbound cheddar, grated or sliced
8 sesame seed brioche burger buns, lightly toasted
Chips and toppings, to serve
Method
1 Make the bacon jam: preheat the oven to 200°C. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Add the bacon slices to the tray; try to ensure they are laying flat and not overlapping.
2 Cook the bacon in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, or until it is crisp. Place the bacon on a platter lined with kitchen towel and collect the excess bacon fat from the tray.
3 Add 1 tbsp of bacon fat to a large, heavy-bottomed pan and heat on medium. Add the finely diced onion and cook for 5-8 minutes, or until soft. Add the shallot and garlic; cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.
4 Once the bacon has cooled, place it on a cutting board and chop until fine crumbs are achieved. Add this finely chopped bacon to the pan with the onions, shallots and garlic.
5 Keeping the heat on medium-high, add the thyme, chilli flakes, black pepper, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar and maple syrup. Stir gently and bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low.
6 Cook slowly for 20-25 minutes, until a jammy consistency has been achieved. Stir often to avoid any sticking or burning. If you find the jam is reducing too quickly, lower the heat again – you want the flavours to meld and develop over the 20-25 minutes.
7 When the bacon jam is of a sticky consistency and has cooked down, place it in a dish to cool at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
8 While the jam is cooling, make the burgers: place the beef mince in a large mixing bowl. Season with the salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce and, using your hands, mix well. Divide the meat into 8 equal balls and place on a tray lined with baking parchment.
9 Fire up your barbecue to a minimum temperature of 190°C, or a maximum of 230°C. Brush the grill with oil and shape each burger into a large disc (burgers shrink as they cook, so shape each burger into a disc slightly larger than the bun). Place the burgers on the grill and close the lid.
10 Grill the burgers for 5-10 minutes; about 5 minutes per side, until completely cooked through with a nice char on the outside.
11 Toast your burger buns (you can toast them all at the same time in a 200°C oven for 5-8 minutes). While the buns are toasting, turn off the heat on the barbecue (with the burgers still on the grill) and add a dollop of bacon jam and even portions of Hegarty’s cheddar to each burger. Close the lid to let the cheese melt from the residual heat.
12 Place each burger on a toasted bun, then serve with fresh chips, salads and plenty of delicious toppings. Let your guests help themselves to their favourite toppings – then sit back and enjoy.
Onion, gherkins, lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise, ketchup and yellow mustard.
Read more
Summer grill seekers
Buying - and cooking - the perfect steak for your summer barbeque
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