National Burger Day is May 28th and the kind folks at ZoOSh who make outstanding dressings and mayonnaise asked me to come up with a burger guaranteed to put a smile on anyone’s face. I think I did it.
When I first moved to Australia more than twenty years ago, I had a lot to get used to. First, when John asked me what I wanted for tea and I said Earl Grey but he meant dinner. Then we went to a pub and he said, ‘Your shout,’ and I looked at him with a very bewildered stare. It was my turn to pay the bar tab. (Actually looking bewildered caused him to pay so my win.)
When we stopped at a fish and chip shop we went in and John ordered his and I asked for a burger and the kind man behind the counter said, “With the lot?” I was totally lost. “Uhhh, I guess so,” I said meekly.
Imagine the look on my face when a burger like this was passed across. “The Lot” turns out to be not only the burger and cheese but tomato, lettuce, mayonnaise, grilled onions, a slice of pineapple, a couple of slices of beetroot, some bacon and a fried egg. Yes, I was flabbergasted and asked how anyone could get their mouth around it.
It turns out, if you squish it all together, you can get a bite of most everything in each bite. (Australians can eat this one without so much as a dribble.) I was fairly new to Australia so I ate mine with a knife and fork – just like I did with the Aussie meat pie. I got way too many eye rolls and realised that I needed to learn to eat like the locals.
I make burgers at home a few times a year and I have some guidelines that ensure I’m able to put a well-cooked, juicy burger on the bun every time:
- Make your own burger buns (my recipe for brioche burger buns is below)
- Buy the right meat – a mixture of 80% lean to 20% fat.
- Don’t muck around with the meat. Don’t make a meatloaf out of it, just lightly form it into a circle larger than the bun and definitely don’t smash it in a press.
- Repeat: Make the burgers bigger than the circumference of the bun as the meat will shrink as it cooks and nobody wants to hunt in the bun for the meat.
- Make it big enough to taste. Paper thin burgers are for fast food joints.
- Poke an indentation in the top (this will be the bottom when you flip) – it will keep the burger flat.
- Toast the buns. That little bit of toasting makes a big difference in taste.
- Salt and pepper the side going on the grill just before you plop it on. Salt and pepper the top just before flipping.
- I never close the grill as I don’t think they cook right with the cover closed. I’d never roast a burger.
- I also never smash the juices out of the burger with the spatula thing while they’re cooking as the burgers end up tasting like cardboard.
- Put them on a hot grill, flip after 5 minutes when just a bit of juice comes to the top indicating turn time, then turn down the grill and cook another 3-4 minutes. Once you’ve flipped, wait one minute before adding cheese.
- Remove from the grill and tent with foil while you toast the buns
Today I served our burgers with home made fries and onion rings and served them with some ZoOSh Garlic Aoili made from free range eggs. This company won my heart by treating humanely the hens who give them their eggs. I probably didn’t need the deep fried goodies on the side but hey, it’s National Burger Day on the 28th and that calls for fries AND onion rings and that might be a rule, I’m just not sure.
Do YOU have a ‘yummy face?’ I definitely do after eating my burger.
Here’s my brioche hamburger bun recipe!
- 1¼ cups milk, warmed (about 43C/110F)
- 2 tablespoons instant yeast
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 large egg
- 3¼ cups to 3½ cups bread flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg beaten for the egg wash
- In the mixing bowl add the warm milk, the sugar and the yeast. Stir for a few seconds and leave to activate the yeast. If this doesn't happen, you have dud yeast - start over.
- Add in the butter and egg and mix to combine.
- Switch to a dough hook and add in the flour and the salt and knead for about 6 minutes or until the dough is elastic and smooth.
- Place in a greased bowl and leave to rise in a warm place for about 40 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 200C/400F and grease a baking sheet or line with baking paper.
- Punch down dough and dump onto a floured surface or silicone mat (won't need flour for that)
- Cut the dough into 80 gram/3 ounce pieces and shape into balls and place on the baking sheet. Once all are on the sheet, flatten with your fingers.
- Let rise for 30 minutes or so and then brush with the egg wash before placing them into the oven for 20 minutes.
Here’s how I made and stacked my Aussie burger with The Lot.
- 500 grams beef mince 80% lean, 20% fat
- 1 onion sliced and sauteed until translucent
- 3 slices of cheese
- 6 slices of tinned beetroot, patted dry on a piece of paper towel
- 9 slices of pickle
- 3 pieces of lettuce - use your favourite
- 3 large pieces of bacon, cooked crispy
- 3 fried eggs
- 3 slices tinned pineapple
- 6 slices of fresh tomato
- 6 teaspoons ZoOSh Free Range Egg Mayonnaise
- 3 hamburger buns sliced (I made brioche buns, recipe below)
- Mustard
- Ketchup
- Slice and grill the onions
- Drain beetroot and pickles
- Fry eggs
- Slice buns in half
- Heat a BBQ grill to hot
- Divide the beef mince into 3 equal portions.
- Gently make 3 balls and lightly press down to flatten. You don't want to smash the beef or it will be tough.
- In the center of each patty, press down with your fingers until you nearly make a hole - this keeps the burger from puffing up in the middle.
- Sprinkle salt and pepper to the bottom side of each patty (the side without the indentation) and toss the seasoned side down on the hot grill and leave it there for about 5 minutes (every grill is different)
- Sprinkle salt and pepper and flip each burger and cook for 3-4 more minutes.
- After a minute or so, add the cheese to each burger.
- Remove from the grill and place on a plate and tent with foil.
- Toast the buns until golden brown
- On a plate place the bottom bun then add
- burger and cheese
- bacon
- ketchup
- mustard
- fried egg
- slices beetroot
- fried onions
- pineapple slice
- lettuce
- tomato slices
- slices of pickle
- Then spread the top bun with the mayonnaise and it's ready to serve.
WOW! This looks delicious and I am going to make my own hamburger buns from now on. I’m disgusted with the store-bought breads that are stale and tasteless. Thanks M!
Now that is a burger! And those brioche buns are perfection!
Ooooooh, I LOVE a burger with the lot. Yours looks quite divine, Maureen… and thanks for the intro to ZoOsh.
There is no way you can have a burger and not have onion rings and fries. And I may have just licked the screen when I scrolled down to that burger photo……
I love you. 🙂
Heyya.. WOW! This looks delicious and I am going to make my own hamburger buns from now on. I’m disgusted with the store-bought breads that are stale and tasteless.Now that is a burger! And those brioche buns are perfection 🙂 Thanks for sharing…. 🙂
These buns were great with the burger.
Your burgers look great! I tried a Zoosh dressing, actually two (they were on sale) and one of them was really, really runny and I wasn’t able to pour it properly. I think they may have to repackage that one! 😛
I tried three and was pleased with all three. I love mayo on a burger.
Now, that’s a tall, thick, scrumptious burger! Mango Chilli and Lime sounds intriguing. Would love to try that out!!!
Julie & Alesah
Gourmet Getaways xx
LOL you had me laughing. Now that’s what I call a burger, must be a challenge to bite into one, but I’m sure worth all the effort. 🙂
Jo, you’d be surprised what Aussies can eat. They can eat a meat pie in one hand, while holding a beer in the other and not spill a bit of either one. I’m still pretty much a failure at pie eating.
Ahhh, I miss burgers with the lot. And I had to see this post just before lunch time! Those brioche buns look perfect, too. One thing I can’t get my head around is why, at least in Seattle, free range eggs are everywhere but I’ve never seen a free range egg mayo. It seems a logical next step.
That’s what I thought, Nataliya! I was impressed that they spent the extra money to treat the hens better.
Now that is some burger – Maureen. I didn’t even know burger day is next week – am firing up the grill !!!! AND am going through all your burger tips – Thanks for sharing!!!
Heck, the name ZoOSh alone is enough to put a smile on my face! But these burgers? Oh, yes. I agree with you on not covering the burgers when on the grill. But when I cook them indoors (panfry in a cast iron pan) and they’re really thick, I like to brown them on each side, then stick them in the oven for a few minutes. Same way I cook steak. Really good, and they cook pretty evenly that way. But outside on the grill is the best!
I cook steak that way too.
I just have two words….OH!! MY!!!!! That’s orgasmic food.
I want a burger with “the lots!” AWESOME! I’ll use that term to describe anything I want done right and loaded with the works! Thanks for sharing more about ZoOSh! I’ll have to do some research to figure out if I can get my hands around some of their dressings here in my area.
OMG Maureen!!! This is magnificent!!!! And your pictures!!! Wow! That is one great looking burger!!!
Thanks, Mila!!
Awesome post, Maureen! Not sure what I liked the most, the first shot of the burger (thanks for the lesson on “The Lot”), the story on your boo=boos with the language (I’ve got my shares), or the final video on the yummy face, that was priceless
the brioche buns are my favorite type for hamburgers, actually, so you hit all my soft spots with this post
Happy Burger Day!
I love cooking burgers on the grill. After 30 years I pretty much do it like ypu. You did teach me though not to season and not to cover. I am going to try that! We live in the country so I got in the habit of closing the lid to keep bees, birds, deer and coyote away. Copied and saved! Thanks Maureen.
I think if bugs got on my burger, I’d shut the lid too!
Oh, delicious National Burger Day – my kind of burger miss the egg, it’s a fun thing I really handle egg on a burger! But I do eat bacon and sandwiches – weird I know. You burger do look spectacular and I have mark National Burger Day on my calendar:)
Now thats what I call the perfect burger, look at that beauty so orgasmic
Amen 🙂
Funnily we were just discussing Aussie burgers yesterday. Beetroot in a burger seems really weird, but I guess it’s what you’re used to. There isn’t a typical Brit Burger- it’s all about searching out the good ones. GG
Sorry for the short comment but….YOU.ARE.KILLING.ME.WITH.THIS.BURGER!
I love you too, Pam!
I’ll never say no to a hamburger … and those brioche buns. I’d love a few right now. And those onion rings are mouth watering too.
WOW! That is a serious burger! I have no idea how I would fit that in my mouth but I sure would try!
The frequency with which you post continues to astonish me. I wish I had your energy.
“with the lot” is right!! Holy Moly, Maureen!! Gorgeous photo and I would love to (attempt to I should say 🙂 ) take a big bite of that burger! Gorgeous brioche buns too…
You forgot to tell us how to open our mouths that wide! Oh my goodness, that burger looks amazing. I want one right now! But I have to say, it would have put a much bigger smile on my face if it was actually sitting in front of me instead of on my computer.
Did not know there is a National Burger Day. The sure is some burger, looks delicious, I too would eat it with knife and fork. I am hungry for one right this moment.
I would too because I couldn’t get that in my mouth!
Oh I had no clue about “the lot”! Was reading a book about hamburgers the other day and they were using dry aged beef fat for the 20% fat in the patty! I’m yet to try sourcing dry aged beef fat, but it would apparently give more depth of flavour 🙂
Your burger looks perfect! I’m not sure I could manage to have a piece of every layer even if I were squishing it like a mad woman though 🙂
Dry aged beef for a burger sounds delicious and incredibly indulgent. I’m in!
I couldn’t eat that burger if my life depended on it. I could eat the bottom bun and the burger. 🙂
That is a wonderful looking burger. The rolls look perfect. I think it would be fun to watch somebody eat that! so much to get used to in a new place – looks like you did just fine 🙂
He vacuumed it up. No spills. 🙂
I’m sure the people at ZoOSh must be very happy with what you’ve come up with because you’ve definitely given them a burger! Look at the height of it! I can’t believe John was able to eat that without making a mess. I would have been wearing it all down my shirt. Best looking burger I’ve seen in a long time! xx
I don’t know how he does it. His mouth doesn’t look that much bigger than mine. 🙂
WOW and what a burger Maureen and what great sauces too!
I will have to check them out soon!
This looks to be The Dagwood of all burgers!
Happy National Burger Day! Sharing!
I wonder if Aussies have dagwoods?? 🙂
These look so fabulous! It’s a mouthwatering monster of a burger and I bet those homemade brioche buns take it over the top!
Maureen, The Lot looks like reason enough to visit Australia!! I’ll have to try making some brioches for our next bbq!
Maureen, I have found myself just speechless staring into your dreamy photos of the “ultimate burger” This is one of the best burgers I have ever seen. the boys have seen your photos over my shoulder and I have already got the items needed on my grocery list for tomorrows dinner. You should submit this one to food porn for sure!!! In the mean time I am sharing with the world and pinning!
These burgers will definitely put a smile on anyone’s face. I love how you included a recipe to the buns.
I am drooling big time here looking at that burger. It is amazing!! I loved Aussie burgers when we visited there many years ago. You have such great toppings like the perfect egg and I also had beets on a burger. Now we are talking my kind of eats!!
Dear Maureen,
The look on your face would have been priceless when you encountered all the local idiosyncrasies twenty years ago.
Hands down, this is one of the best looking homemade burgers I have seen. After all, it’s made by a Yank and what more with your very own brioche recipe 🙂
And thanks for all those handy tips to make a great burger.
The first month here certainly made me think twice about what I was getting into. It all seems so normal now. 🙂
OMG Maureen, I would love to have a bite, a big one…of this burger…looks awesome with all the stuff in it…and yes for the egg…oh! Even better with homemade buns…
Hope you are having a wonderful week 🙂
You’d have the same problem getting it all into your mouth at once as I do. 🙂
Lots of deliciousness here, Maureen! Love those buns and the burgers sound perfect. I can’t think of anything better than a good burger! Thanks for the recipes!
And just how does one fit a burger like this in your mouth? 🙂 Now that’s a burger! I’ve got to start making my own burger buns because you must can’t find good buns anymore. Yours look perfect and what a hamburger bun should be.
WOW. So, when is Maureen’s Burgers opening?? 😉
Tomorrow!! Coming to the grand opening? 🙂
Now this is a burger with the lot! I have just discovered garlic aioli on a burger so you have really hit the mark here, my burger does not look anywhere near as nice as yours do … and those buns = yum 🙂
I don’t remember last time that I eat an good hamburguer! I would like try this one ! It looks so amazing ! I like you prepare your owns buns is still better 🙂
I wish you were teaching burger classes and I could learn from you. Just look at this pretty burger. My man loves burgers, he can eat one every day if the beef mince is great. How does one eat such a lot burger? You said john eats it without making a mess. how? I would make a mess!
Maureen, that burger looks so darn good! Seriously, I want to reach through my computer screen right now. You’ve made me hungry!!
That’s my job, Kristen! 🙂
May 28th just got a whole lot more exciting. 🙂 Love me a good burger, especially if the bun is brioche and its got beetroot & pineapple on it.
You just come on over!
Wow now that is what I call a burger! Not sure I could fit my mouth around it but I’m wiling to give it a go!!
This recipe has been chosen to be part of our Burgers, Sliders, and Dogs Recipe Roundup – we hope you will help us spread the word by sharing, pinning, and tweeting! All links go directly to your recipes and we hope you get lots of traffic! Kelli and Holli at Yum Goggle
Thanks, Ladies!!
Hi Maureen! I’ve not heard of Zoosh products but, as you well know living in rural East TN there are many products that are not available. I did discover Duke’s mayonnaise and sorghum! 🙂