Hamburgers
There is no evidence that Hamburg, Germany, had anything to do with hamburgers. Some say that the humble burger is derived from the steak tartare consumed in Hamburg, but this seems a long shot. I think it's an all-American kid. The first recorded mention of the burger in its present form is an 1884 edition of the Boston Herald which advertises "hamburger steaks" accompanied by a clearly recognisable artist's impression of the dish.
No other food so completely captures the mood of mid-20th century American youth culture. You can eat a burger in the car, standing up, or at the drive-in. It represents a rejection of the "sit up straight and don't leave the dinner table until your father says so" culinary mores of the old world. The most cursory assessment of the queues outside McDonald's in Moscow and Beijing would suggest that this notion has international appeal.
Internationally, burgers have come a long way from their Boston origins. From Greek-style lamb, feta and pine-nut patties in pita pockets to Thai crab and bean-sprout offerings, the world is full of burger-based innovation. But I think that the best is still the beef and sesame bun original.
What follows is the low-down on the perfect basic burger...
What kind of meat?
Don't try to make burgers out of lean beef - the fat provides flavour and moistness.
Too little fat and the burger will stick to the pan. Ideally you need minced
chuck with 20% fat.
What kind of bun?
Don't bother to make your own bread - this is the only situation in the world
where the traditional, nutrient- vacant, shop-bought buns are best. Simply slice
them, toast them and top them with your burger. If you insist on making your
own, the secret to getting that marshmallow, light-as-air texture is to use
powdered milk rather than water in your dough.
Patty perfection
Don't squash the mince as this will make heavy burgers. Gently form the patty.
The ideal burger is slightly charred on the outside and cooked through but juicy
on the inside. Hence your burger should never be more than 2cm thick. Make a
slight dip in the centre of the burger - as it cooks it will shrink and thicken.
Whether you grill or pan fry, the key is not to press on the burger while it's
cooking as this will push out juices.
How do I know when it's done?
Obsessive types fiddle around with a meat thermometer but (despite the no pressing
rule) the best way to check if a burger is done is to gently press on the top
of the patty. A burger that feels rubbery is well done. A burger that springs
back is medium and one that gives is rare.
Recipe
This recipe (which is adapted from The Little Black Book of Burgers) is unashamedly
American teenage fodder. You can't use posh mustard and the dodgy onion powder
is not optional.
Serves 6
700g ground chuck beef
½ tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper, ground
½ tsp onion powder
2 T chopped parsley
1 t olive oil
8 hamburger buns
1 dill pickle, sliced
lettuce leaves of choice
2 tomatoes, sliced
Ketchup
Yellow mustard
Mix the beef, salt, pepper, onion powder and parsley.
Mould the mixture into 6 patties. Do this with wet hands so that the meat doesn't
stick to your palms.
Heat your grill, braai or pan to a high heat. Cook each patty until you see
juices start to rise, then turn the burger.
Heat intensity will vary but expect to allow at least 4 minutes per side for
medium rare and 6 minutes plus for well done.
Season to taste.
Toast the buns for approximately 20 seconds. Serve with mustard, ketchup, pickles
and lettuce.
WINE RECOMMENDATION:
Hamburgers are a fun, uncomplicated meal and need the same sort of wine. Try
Chamonix Rouge 2004 (R25 a bottle ex cellar).
