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Onion Overload Beef Burger
Onions are without a doubt one of the best burger toppings. This burger is our ode to the humble onion
- Serves: 4 |
- Difficulty: moderate
- Prep Time : 1:30 hours |
- Cook Time : 30 mins
Ingredients
The Patties
¼ C (60 ml) sunflower oil for shallow frying
salt and pepper
The Pickled Onions
½ C (125 ml) red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp (30 ml) sugar
2 tsp (5 ml) salt
The Caramelised Onions
a generous knob of butter
2 Tbsp (30 ml) brown sugar
3 Tbsp (45 ml) balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper
The Cheese Sauce
1 Tbsp (15 ml) flour
1 C (125 ml) full cream milk
1 ½ C (375 ml) grated mature cheddar
½ tsp ( 2.5 ml) cayenne pepper
salt and white pepper
The Onion Rings
2 large onions, sliced into thick rounds
1 C (250 ml) flour
1 C (250 ml) lager + an extra splash if the batter is too thick.
2 tsp (10 ml) baking powder
1 tsp (5 ml) paprika
1 tsp (5ml) garlic powder
salt and pepper
The Rolls and Toppings
a mixture of baby leaf greens
*A note on mince: don’t use supermarket mince, ask your butcher grind up some chuck with a good amount of fat in it – 70/30 ratio of meat to fat is good. Fat helps to bind without adding eggs or bread crumbs.
Method
The Patties (part 1)
Measure your patties out into 200 g portions and shape them into balls. Be firm but try not to overwork the meat. Place the balls on a flat surface and gently press them flat with the palm of your hand into patties. Once you’ve got 4 patties that are a little bigger than your rolls, you can pop then onto a plate. Cover with cling film and let them rest in the fridge until it’s time to cook.
The Pickled Onions
Mix the vinegar, sugar and salt into a glass bowl. Pop the red onion in leave to pickle for at least 30 minutes.
The Caramelised Onions
The trick with good caramelised onions is time, so don’t rush them. Add the butter to a large frying pan over a medium-low heat. Add the onions and let them cook slowly stirring every so often.
Around the 30 minute mark the onions should become soft. Add the sugar and balsamic and cook for another 10-15 minutes until jammy and caramelised. It takes time but it’s worth it.
The Cheese Sauce
In a small saucepan melt the butter over a medium heat. Add the flour and whisk to form a roux. Cook the roux for about 4 minutes while continuously stirring. Add the milk and whisk to combine. Cook until the mixture begins to thicken.
Add the cheese and whisk to combine. Season with cayenne pepper, salt and white pepper. If you feel it needs more cheesey flavour then add more cheese. If it gets too thick you can loosen it up with a splash of milk.
The Onion Rings
Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl then add 250 ml of beer. You are looking for a thick pancake like batter. If the batter is too thick then thin it out with a little more beer. In a large pot over a high heat, bring the oil up to 180 ºC.
Dust the sliced onion rounds in some flour then dip them into the batter and coat evenly. Immediately and carefully drop the rings into the hot oil and fry until golden brown. Try not to crowd the pot with too many rings at a time. If you need to then fry in two batches. Drain the rings on a sheet of kitchen towel and season with salt and pepper while they are still hot.
The Rolls
Place the buttered rolls face down into a large frying pan over a medium heat. Cook until the rolls are golden and toasty.
The Patties (part 2)
Remove the patties from the fridge and season with salt and pepper. In a large cast iron pan or frying pan, heat the sunflower oil until it just barely begins to smoke. Gently lay the patties in and let them fall away from you to avoid splashing oil in your direction.
Cook the burgers for 1 minute a side before gently flipping. Repeat this for about 6 minutes depending on how you like your burger. We like a medium cooked burger with a pink interior. Make sure you turn every minute as this will ensure you build up a crunchy caramelised crust. Once your burgers are cooked, remove them from the heat and place then onto a baking tray until you are ready to assemble the burgers.
The Assembly
This the most important part so make sure you’ve got all your elements ready to go. Layer the bottom bun with some mixed baby leaf greens and the caramelised onions. Place the patties on top and layer with pickled onions. Top with a generous dollop of cheese sauce and then top with onion rings. Finally pop the top on and attack that bad boy.
