A really good beef burger has to be made from really good quality minced beef. If you can, ask your butcher to mince some rib-eye and make sure that it has at least 20 per cent fat content as this will in effect make the burgers self-basting and prevent them from drying out during cooking.
Serves 4
- 50g (2oz) Cashel Blue or Roquefort cheese
- 50g (2oz) unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp snipped fresh chives
- 675g (1 1/2oz) minced beef
- 12 baby tomatoes on the vine
- 3 tbsp light olive oil
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- 2 tsp sweet chilli sauce
- handful fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
- 1 small red onion, cut into wafer-thin slices
- 2 muffins, halved
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Mash together the Cashel Blue or Roquefort cheese and butter in a small bowl. Season with pepper and stir in the chives. Shape into a short cylinder, no more than 5 cm (2in) in length, and wrap in cling film. Chill for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours to firm up.
2 Divide the beef into four portions, then, using wet hands, shape into patties that are 2.5 cm (1 in) thick. Remove the blue cheese butter from the fridge and cut into four even-sized pieces. Make a deep indentation in the middle of each patty and push in a piece of the Roquefort butter, pushing the beef back around the mixture so that it is well sealed. Chill for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours until ready to cook.
3 Preheat the oven to 200C (400F), Gas mark 6 and preheat the grill or if using a charcoal barbecue, light it 30 minutes before you want to start cooking. If using a gas barbecue, light it 10 minutes beforehand. Snip the baby vine tomatoes into four portions of three and arrange in a small roasting tin. Drizzle over one tablespoon of the olive oil and season to taste. Roast for 12-15 minutes until lightly charred and just beginning to soften.
4 Sprinkle a teaspoon of pepper all over the chilled burgers. Add to the grill rack and cook for 4 minutes on each side for rare, 6 minutes each side for medium and 8–9 minutes for well done.
5 To make the dressing, mix together the remaining two tablespoons of the olive oil with the lemon juice and sweet chilli sauce. Place the parsley and red onion in a separate bowl and then fold in two-thirds of the dressing.
6 To serve, toast the cut sides of the muffins on the grill rack and place on warmed plates. Cover with a burger and then add a bunch of roasted tomatoes. Pile the red onion salad on top and drizzle over the remaining dressing.
VARIATIONS
LAMB AND MINT
Omit the flavoured butter and replace the minced beef for minced lamb. Add four tablespoons of finely chopped onion to the mix with two crushed garlic cloves, two tablespoons of double cream, one teaspoon of chopped fresh mint and two teaspoons of smoked paprika. Shape and cook as described above. The ideal way to serve these lamb burgers would be in a pitta pocket stuffed with some salad leaves, sliced tomatoes, raw onion rings and drizzled with some Greek strained yoghurt mixed with a little chopped fresh mint.
ASIAN PORK
Sauté a finely chopped red onion and a crushed garlic clove in a tablespoon of sunflower oil until softened. Meanwhile, place a small bunch of coriander (roots intact) in a mini blender with a quarter teaspoon each of ground cumin and coriander, one teaspoon of tomato puree and half a teaspoon of medium curry powder and blitz to form a paste. Stir into the onion mixture and cook for another minute, then leave to cool. Replace the minced beef with minced pork and work in the onion and spice mixture before shaping into burgers. Serve with Asian style coleslaw.
Grilled Rib-Eye Steak with Smoked Paprika and Red Pepper Butter
I always bring steaks to room temperture by removing them from the fridge 30 minutes before I want to cook them. This recipe uses my favourite cut, the rib-eye, which is still nice and tender but with enough fat and textures to make for an exciting chew.
Serves 4
- 4 x 225g (8oz) dry aged rib-eye steaks
- 100ml (3 1/2fl oz) olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
- FOR THE BUTTER
- 1 small red pepper
- 175g (6oz) butter
- 1/2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
- 1 tsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp cream
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- baked potatoes and lightly dressed mixed green salad, to serve
1 To make the flavoured butter, preheat the grill. Place the pepper on the grill rack and cook for 20-25 minutes until the skin is blackened and blistered. Transfer to a bowl and cover with clingfilm, then leave to cool completely.
2 Remove the skin, core and seeds from the pepper and roughly chop the flesh, then place in a food processor. Add the butter, thyme, parsley and paprika in food processor and puree until smooth. Stir in the cream and then scrape out onto a square of non-stick parchment paper and roll into a cylinder, twisting the ends to secure. Chill for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours is fine.
3 Trim the rib-eye steaks of any excess fat, place in a non-metallic dish and add the olive oil, garlic and thyme. Cover with clingfilm and leave in fridge to marinade overnight.
4 Remove the steaks from the fridge at least half an hour before you wish to cook them, then shake off any excess marinade and season to taste. Grill, barbecue or pan-fry the steaks over a fierce heat for 6-7 minutes for medium rare, or to your liking. Allow to rest for 5 minutes on warm plates.
5 Remove the flavoured butter from fridge and remove the foil, then cut into slices. Place butter slices on top of the grilled steaks and add a baked potato and some mixed salad to each plate to serve.