Tonight’s dinner is one that I’ve really been looking forward to- a true blue, ridgy-didge Aussie Burger just like I used to have when I lived down under for a year back in 2002.
Despite sharing the same DNA as the American burger, it’s the toppings that really make an Aussie burger so special- bacon, cheese, fried egg, pineapple, and last but not least beetroot……yip, that’s right all on the SAME burger!!
Australia are relative latecomers to the World Cup, only qualifying for the first time in 1974, and that year their stand-out performer was Jim Scane, not a player but a super-fan! Jim was one of a handful of Socceroos fans to make the journey to West Germany, and he managed to cause a stir wearing a green and yellow track suit embroidered with the name of the players, and opponents they played en route to the finals. Pride of place however was given to the slogan emblazoned on the back- “Advance Australia Fair”
INGREDIENTS (per burger)
100g lean steak mince (per burger)
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 brioche roll
Toppings – The ‘Full Works’
1 pineapple ringside
1 large slice pickled beetroot
1/4 onion sliced
1 slice vine ripened tomato
1 smoked bacon medallion
Sweet gem lettuce leaf
To serve – Ketchup, mayo
3tsp olive oil
INSTRUCTIONS (per burger)
1. Put mince into bowl, add plenty of salt and pepper, and then work firmly with hands til the mince is approaching a paste consistency
2. Form mince into a patty- I make mine pretty thin- just less than 1cm thick.
3. Sauté the sliced onions over a low heat with 1tsp olive oil until they soften, but stop before they brown. Put to one side. This sweetens the flavor of the onion.
4. Fry the smoked bacon medallions and pineapple rings in the pan with 1 tsp olive oil until bacon is cooked and pineapple caramelises a little, take out and put to the side also.
6. Fry an egg- sunny side up til cooked, but I enjoy the yolk left runny! Put on the side with the other toppings.
7. Fry the patty in a griddle pan over a medium heat. Cook to personal taste.
8. When burger is done as you like it, take it off the heat and let it rest for a minute.
9. Meanwhile prepare the lettuce leaves, tomato slices and pickled beetroot- I normally dab them all with kitchen roll to get them as dry as possible.
10. Lightly toast the brioche under the grill (I actually use the griddle pan)
11. Compile thus: bottom half bun, mayo & ketchup, lettuce, beetroot, tomato, burger, cheese, onions, bacon, pineapple, top half bun.
Bonza!
World Cup Dinners 