The hamburger
is now a symbol of America, but the history of the sandwich is unclear. It is
thought to have evolved from the steak tartare, which found its way to Hamburg,
ended up being cooked, and took the name of the city. This fledgling wasn’t yet
a fully grown hamburger, however, as the bun came later, when the patty reached
America.
Three Americans claim the title of Hamburger Inventor.
Louis Lassen of an establishment called “Louis’ Lunch” claimed he invented it
as a snack solution for a customer who was short of time; a classic sandwich
story. The next contender is the modestly nicknamed “Hamburger Charlie Nagreen”
who claimed he wedged a meatball into a bun thus creating the hamburger. The
final claimants are The Menches Brothers, who said their great-grandfather and
his brother invented it in New York. Hugely successful sandwich, multiple
inventors coming forward. Surely you are not surprised by now.
Makes 4
INGREDIENTS
1lb 9oz (700g) top sirloin (rump) steak,
minced, or ground beef of your choice; you want a good bit of fat in there
basically
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
4 cheese slices (processed cheese slices
really do have a place here but, of course, use a cheese of your choice)
4 sesame seed burger buns, cut in half
Thinly sliced red onion
4 iceberg lettuce leaves, shredded
Sliced sweet gherkin pickles
Yellow (American-style) mustard
Ketchup
Heat a BBQ for direct grilling. Once the flames
have died down and the coals are white, it’s ready for cooking.
Divide the meat into 4 balls and flatten into
patties or burgers. Do not add salt and pepper at this stage, as it will change
the texture of the meat.
Once the grill is ready, season the outside of
the burgers very generously with salt and pepper and add to the grill. Cook to
your liking (about 4–5 minutes each side for a medium burger). Once you turn
the burgers, add the cheese slices so that they melt slightly.
Lightly toast the buns for about 2 minutes on the BBQ and then add the
burgers to the buns. Top the burgers with red onion, lettuce, sweet gherkin
pickles, mustard, and ketchup. Serve at once.
5 WAYS TO BLING YOUR BURGER:
•
Make it a chili burger: gently soften some chopped fresh
green chilies in butter, then add a layer of them on top of the burger before
covering with the cheese slice.
•
Add 1–2 slices of cripsy bacon to your burger.
•
Make a burger sauce by mixing together ketchup, mayonnaise,
yellow (American-style) mustard, chopped Spanish onion, and chopped dill
pickles. Season with a dash of hot chili sauce and Worcestershire sauce and add
to the burger.
•
Make it a “juicy Lucy” by stuffing the center of the patty
with blue cheese before cooking (take care when eating; it’s like cheesy lava
on the inside).
Top
with mushrooms softened in butter with a crushed garlic clove, and add extra
cheese for a garlic mushroom melt.
