Homemade cheeseburgers

 

I'm going to blame the blurriness of that picture on the fact that I was really hungry and just wanted to eat the deliciousness that was this burger. It had nothing to do with my terrible photography "skills"

What can I say? These are tasty and really easy to make. Using a griddle plan helps to get some nice charring on the burgers.

Ingredients (serves 2):
2 burger buns (I like sesame seeded 'cos I'm old school)
1/2 lb steak mince
A good splosh of Worcestershire sauce
1 egg yolk
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
2 slices of cheese (I used Jarlsberg)
4 slices tomato
4 iceberg lettuce leaves
2 gerkins, sliced lengthways into strips
Condiments:
I made a makeshift burger sauce with ketchup, mayo and diced gherkin but you could use any sauce you wanted
Ketchup

In a large bowl add the mince, egg yolk, minced garlic and Worcestershire sauce. Add a pinch of salt and a good grind of black pepper. With clean hands, gently mix the ingredients until they are just combined (squishy!) Try not to over-mix as this can toughen the burgers. Pour a tiny bit of olive oil into your hand and take half the mixture. Form into a ball and then squish down to create a burger. Place on a plate and repeat the process with the other burger. Wrap in cling film and pop in the fridge for about 20 minutes.

Take the burgers out of the fridge about ten minutes before you want to cook them. Heat a griddle pan on high heat. Take the burgers and with your fingers just rub a bit of olive oil on them. Adding the oil to the meat instead of the pan means they shouldn't smoke as much. Add to the pan and watch them sizzle. Cook for a few minutes without moving so when you flip them they should have griddle marks on them. Flip and cook on the other side. Turn right down to low and cook for a couple more minutes. Add the gerkhin slices to the tops of the burgers, then top with a slice of cheese. Place a large saucepan lid on top. This will circulate the steam around the burger to help them remain moist and melt the cheese.

Toast the burger buns. To the heel of the bun spread sauce of your choice, then top with lettuce and tomato. Add the burger with the gerkhins and gorgeous melted cheese, then top with more sauce and the top of the bun. Eat with gusto and some napkins.