Lotus burger

A sneak peak at Mr Hong’s new cookbook co-written by our very own Melissa Leong

The patties:

400g grain-fed beef brisket
400g grain-fed beef chuck, excess fat removed
200g dry-aged beef fat

The caramelised onions:

50g unsalted butter
3 large white onions, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon brown miso

The rest:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
5 slices of cheddar cheese
10 smoked bacon slices, about 10 cm in length
5 soft sesame seed hamburger buns
Japanese mayonnaise (Kenko brand)
3 large gherkins, sliced
Heinz Tomato Ketchup

Method:

For the patties, slice the brisket and beef chuck into nice long pieces that will fit inside the mincer. Transfer the slices to a bowl and put in the freezer for about 1 hour, or until the meat has just started to firm up. Carefully feed the meat through the mincer, making sure to alternate pieces of brisket, chuck and fat.

Put the mix in the fridge to firm up for 1 hour. Moisten your hands with a little vegetable oil, divide the mixture into about 5 patties and flatten them out evenly between your hands.

For the caramelised onions, melt the butter in a shallow saucepan over a medium heat, then add the onions and a pinch of salt. Cook over a medium heat, stirring continuously until the onions have softened and cooked down to a dark brown colour. Add the miso paste and gently stir through. Transfer to a container and keep warm.

Preheat a grill plate to high for the bacon. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Meanwhile, to prepare the hamburger buns, place a bamboo steamer on top of a saucepan of simmering water on a medium–low heat.

To cook the patties, add a little oil to a large frying pan over a high heat. Fry for about 2 minutes on one side and then flip. Cook the second side for 30 seconds. The patty should develop a nice brown crust.

Top each patty with two slices of cheese, cover the pan with a lid and leave for 1 minute on the heat. While the patties are steaming, grill the bacon on both sides until nicely charred, but not crispy. Soften the hamburger buns in the bamboo steamer for about 30 seconds.

To assemble the burgers, put a tablespoon of Japanese mayonnaise on the bottom half of a bun, smoothing it out evenly so it covers the entire base. Spread with an even layer of caramelised onions, then add a cooked patty, cheese side up.

Arrange two slices of bacon, then place the gherkin slices on top. Finally, top the patty with ketchup and finish by putting the bun top on top. That’s it.

Recipe and image from Mr Hong by Dan Hong (Murdoch Books) RRP: $49.99 available now