Recipe

Aussie-Malay Inspired Burger

Aussie-Malay Inspired Burger
  • This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Beef Burgers
  • Chef

    energy's Notes: In Australia they top their burgers with beet slices and pineapple rings as routinely as a US cook might add pickles and mustard. A fully dressed one will have bacon and a fried egg added...

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Serves 4

  1. Divide the ground beef into four portions. Wash hands with cold water, take each portion and pass from hand to hand to shape into a loosely packed ball, then flatten very gently into a disc slightly wider in diameter than the buns. Make a shallow well with your fingertips in the centre of each patty to help it cook into an even shape. Refrigerate until needed.

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  2. Make the onion jam: Peel, halve and thinly slice the onion. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a small saucepan over medium low heat, Add the onion and a pinch of salt and cook until soft, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the sugar and vinegar and cook another 5-10 minutes until well caramelized. Remove from heat and set aside.

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  3. Preheat oven to 400F and have ready a small baking dish, lightly greased. Heat a large skillet that will fit the patties without crowding over medium high heat. Add the remaining oil. Sprinkle burgers liberally on one side with salt and pepper and place in the pan seasoned side down. Season the side facing upwards and cook for 2 minutes (don't press down on at all). Turn burgers and then transfer them to the baking dish and place in the oven to cook through to your desired internal temperature (about 9 minutes gave mine a faint blush of pink at the centre). Remove from oven and place a slice of cheese and a quarter of the onion jam on each - rest for several minutes in a warm place while you are completing the other steps.

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  4. After transferring the burgers to the oven return the skillet with the rendered beef fat to the heat. Toast the bun halves briefly in the skillet open face down in the pan - remove and spread each half with a tablespoon of the mayo. Reserve.

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  5. Beat an egg well in a bowl and pour into the skillet, swirling the pan to quickly make a wide, thin omelet - remove and reserve. Repeat with the remaining eggs to make four omelets in total. Place a beef/cheese patty in the centre of each omelet and fold the sides up over it then invert and place onto a bottom bun half. Repeat with the remaining burgers.

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  6. The structure of each sandwich is: Bottom bun spread with tablespoon mayo Omelet-beef package Top bun spread with 1 tablespoon mayo. Press together gently to compact and serve.

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  1. Preheat oven to 350F. Place the beets in small baking dish with a splash of water and cover dish with foil. Bake for about 1 hour or until beets are very tender and a knife blade pierces through without resistance. Cool slightly and peel.off and discard skins. Puree beets in a food processor or blender (or grate on a box grater).

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  2. In small saucepan bring the pineapple juice to a simmer and reduce to about two tablespoons of liquid. Cool. In a separate container combine the oil with the bacon fat.

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  3. Beat the egg yolk. mustard,beet puree, pineapple juice and vinegar together for 1 minute. Add the oil a tablespoon at a time, whisking well each with each addition, until mixture emulsifies and thickens. Adjust seasoning and acidity of the mayonnaise to your taste with salt, pepper and additional vinegar - it should be quite tangy to cut through the richness of the sandwich.

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