328. A Simple Burger

It's strange to have a recipe for burgers when we are so accustomed to buying frozen patties and throwing them on the grill. I mean, why bother making your own burger when it's so easy to get them ready? Well, because believe it or not, this is even easier than that: the only ingredient is minced meat. That's it!
It was unbelievable to me that a one-ingredient burger patty would taste good.
I've come across so many recipes for burgers that contain breadcrumbs, eggs, herbs (dried and fresh), onion (fresh and powdered), mustard, chili, etc, etc.
Despite my skepticism, I decided to give it a go, and my was it one of the best burgers I've ever tasted!
The brioche bun didn't hurt either :)

I never thought about the origin of a burger; I just always associated it with American food. It wasn't until I read what Martha Stewart wrote in her new cookbook "...how the hamburger was invented and by whom is irrelevant - what matters is only the burger before you" did a huge bell go off in my head. I did some research to prove my theory, and I was right: KOFTA! Kofta, or also known as kebab, are Arab minced meat patties, wrapped or stuffed in some form of bread. Sound familiar?
Burgers, just like Americans, have roots from elsewhere, and in this particular case: from Arabs.
Origins cannot be simply dismissed as "irrelevant," except by those who lack them.

Ingredients:

premium quality mince meat
salt & pepper
cheese, optional

mustard, ketchup, mayonnaise
tomato, onion, lettuce
brioche bun

Method:

I used a 500g tray of minced meat to make four burgers.
Karate-chop the minced meat into four portions.
Without kneading or compressing, simply push in the edges to form a circular-shaped patty.
Season with salt. and pepper too if you want.
Heat a  pan over medium-high. Add a drizzle of oil just to ensure the patties won't stick.
Let the pan get really hot before putting in the patties.
There should be a satisfying searing noise when you put the burger.
Let cook for about 2 minutes, it will bet brown pretty fast.
Turn over and let brown for a minute or to more.
If using cheese, put the cheese slices over the burger and cover the pan to help it melt faster.
Remove the patty and place it directly on the halved and toasted bun.
Garnish as desired.

 صحة و عافية