What makes a burger great?

We believe the greatness of a burger lies somewhere between the patty, sauces and whatever form of potato you choose to serve it with. At Yuppiechef HQ we are fans of a freshly prepped, homemade patty with pink peppercorn garnish, sweet potato wedges and tomato relish. Sound good? Here’s how to make it.

Ingredients (serves 4):

a hamburger maker is a winner, if you have one
4 fresh sesame seed buns

For the beef patties

500g lean beef mince
15ml chopped parsley
15ml chopped coriander
1 tsp ground coriander
Salt and black pepper to taste
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp whole grain mustard
½ onion, finely chopped

For the sweet potatoes

2 medium sized sweet potatoes
15ml olive oil
15ml honey
Salt and black pepper

For the tomato relish

1 finely chopped onion
15ml olive oil
2 cloves crushed garlic
3 tomatoes, peeled and diced
4 sprigs of basil, finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

For the pink peppercorn sauce and garnish

3 shallots, finely chopped
10ml olive oil
200ml cream
1 Tbsp pink peppercorns
3 Radishes
Butter lettuce and rocket leaves

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Place the sweet potato wedges on a roasting tray. Drizzle with olive oil, honey, salt and pepper and place in the oven to roast.
2. To make the relish, fry the onions until soft and translucent, add the garlic and continue to fry for another minute. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer until thickened and reduced.
3. Combine all the burger patty ingredients and knead well.

4. Divide the mince into two burger patties and mould into shape using a hamburger maker or the palms of your hands.

5. Fry the burger patty in a hot pan until golden brown on each side and medium rare inside.

6. While cooking the patties, make your peppercorn sauce. Fry the shallots until soft and translucent. Add the cream and peppercorns to the cooked shallots and simmer for 15 minutes or until the cream is of a thick sauce consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

7. Slice the sesame bun in half and assemble the burger- butter lettuce, rocket, radishes, patty, and peppercorn sauce. Serve with sweet potato wedges and tomato relish.

Delicious. Check out the hamburger maker used in this recipe (recommended by Ina Paarman), download print-friendly recipe and enjoy serving up a great burger.