With such an array to choose from, a butcher’s counter is the perfect place to start when it comes to jazzing up your burger options this Summer. We spoke to the experts at Puxton Park Farm Shop about picking the perfect burger meat…
“Phil here, I’m the Master Butcher at Puxton Park Farm Shop, Butchers and Delicatessen. I’m going to give you some insights on how to create the perfect burger. I promise that after reading this you’ll have the whole neighborhood turning up at your door for your Summer BBQs.
First off, choose your meat wisely, remember you’re not limited to beef burgers. There’s a plethora of possibilities when it comes to burger making.
Let’s talk about lamb. Lamb burgers are delicious, tender and flavoursome when grilled on the barbeque. Using the neck fillets from the shoulder and freshly picked mint, these make a delightfully delicate and tasty burger. Grill on the barbecue and top with some rocket, mint mayo and tomato relish.
A truly underrated burger is the venison burger. Grab yourself a pound or two of ground, lean venison, mix with a dash or Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper, grill it up, top with horseradish and watercress, and ta-da! A burger bursting with fresh and exciting flavours.
Now, this is one to stimulate your taste buds – a curried goat burger. Using the shoulder meat, blend with onion, garlic and curry powder. As those are cooking, toss some mushrooms and curry powder into the skillet and fry them up. Now it’s time to assemble. Top the burger with some mozzarella and your curried mushrooms and it’s that easy.
Once you’ve chosen your meat, it’s all about the condiments. People say the more the merrier right? Well, that’s not necessarily true when it comes to burger craftsmanship. You don’t want to lose sight of the flavour so you’ve got to look for condiments that compliment, not overpower. It’s all about balance.
Like the chicken or the egg dispute, there’s some controversy in the land of burger making regarding the order of assembly. First off, where does the cheese belong? What about the lettuce, the onions and those juicy banana-peppers? You wouldn’t think it’s true, but trust me, the arrangement of these various textures and flavours makes a real difference to the overall experience you have when you take that first, glorious bite. To avoid an overly sloppy, drippy burger, take it easy on the condiments. The order from top to bottom will be the progression of flavours hitting your taste buds. With the more delicate texture of mayo, it’s perfect to sit on top while your ketchup and mustard are better off underneath the patty.
Now it’s time for the extras, keep the cheese on top of the burger, whether you go for a Cheddar or a smoky pepper jack cheese, it’ll melt into a perfect sticky consistency that’ll keep your burger in place.
If you take one thing away from reading this, please let it be this: never put the lettuce directly on top of the burger patty or cheese. The heat will make the lettuce wilt and it will lose its crunchy texture. Also, make sure you’re picking the freshest produce you can get your hands on. Lucky for me, our farm shop gets fresh veg delivered daily so I’m a bit spoiled for choice!”