Name: Ultimate beef burger
Total time: 30 min
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 500g steak mince; red onion , thinly sliced; 1/2 tsp celery salt; A splash of Worcestershire sauce; chilli flakes; 4 brioche burger buns, toasted; 2 vine tomatoes, sliced to serve; 8 emmental; gherkins; frilly lettuce; 2tbsp red wine vinegar; 2tsp golden caster sugar; red onion, very finely sliced; 2tbsp mayonnaise; 2tsp French’s American mustard; 1tbsp gherkins, very finely diced plus 1 tsp vinegar from the jar; 1tbsp ketchup

500g steak mince
red onion
thinly sliced
1/2 tsp celery salt
A splash of Worcestershire sauce
chilli flakes
4 brioche burger buns
toasted
2 vine tomatoes
sliced to serve
8 emmental
gherkins
frilly lettuce

SWEET AND SOUR ONIONS

2tbsp red wine vinegar
2tsp golden caster sugar
red onion
very finely sliced

SECRET BURGER SAUCE

2tbsp mayonnaise
2tsp French’s American mustard
1tbsp gherkins
very finely diced plus 1 tsp vinegar from the jar
1tbsp ketchup

Method

step 1
Mix the burger sauce ingredients together. If you have time, leave the sauce ingredients for a few hours or even make it the day before.
step 2
To make the sweet and sour onions, mix the vinegar and sugar in a bowl and toss the sliced onions in it. Stir now and again while you make the burgers.
step 3
Put the mince in a bowl. Grate the onion on the course side of a box grater.The tougher outer layers will refuse to grate, so just discard these. You just want the grated purée. Add the grated onion to the mince bowl along with a splash of Worcestershire sauce, celery salt, and chilli flakes. Mix everything with your hands and divide into 8 equal portions.
step 4
Flatten each portion into a very thin patty.They will spring back in the pan so make them much thinner than you think you should.
step 5
Heat a non-stick frying pan on a high heat.Turn the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Fry the patties for 2 minutes each side.You won’t be able to get all 8 in one pan, so as you finish, transfer them to a baking tray.When you have 8, top each with a square of cheese and put in the oven for 2-3 minutes until the cheese melts.
step 6
Put some sauce on each bun base. Add lettuce and a couple of slices of tomato. Stack up 2 patties with cheese, then add sauce, the onions and gherkins. Add more sauce, the bun tops and skewer each to hold it together.