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International Hamburger Day - celebrating a dish for all seasons!
International Hamburger Day - celebrating a dish for all seasons!
Ask people to name their favourite fast food and the majority will answer “a hamburger” (with pizza running a close second).
There are probably more hamburger outlets in the world than any other fast food franchises, and certainly the likes of McDonalds and Burger King can be found in almost every country in the world.
While there is much talk about the decline of burger restaurants as people become more health-conscious, burger joints remain the largest segment of the restaurant industry. Collectively, in the US alone, the burger market is worth more than $122 billion (R2,2 trillion!) and continues to grow. It's no less popular in South Africa with most family restaurants listing burgers on their menu.
So, it's no wonder that this dish should have its own day to celebrate - the International Hamburger Day - which takes place on Thursday, May 28. But why are hamburgers so popular? The answer could partly be because a burger is so versatile and can be filled with whatever combination of meat and toppings are favoured. There are hundreds of different permutations - from the main filling (beef, lamb, chicken, fish, vegetarian, vegan) to the buns (ciabatta, cheese, sesame seed, brioche) and the added ingredients (lettuce, tomato, pickles, cheese, bacon, beetroot, egg, avo, onions etc.), not to mention the myriad of sauce options (BBQ, chutney, tomato, mayo, mustard, mushroom, monkeygland etc.).
But what is the history of the humble hamburger? No-one really knows, although throughout the years there have been many claimants to the title of “Inventor of the Hamburger” including:
· Louis Lassen is who is said to have sold the first hamburger and steak sandwich in the US in 1900 although the dish had no name until some rowdy sailors from Hamburg named the meat on a bun after themselves years later. · Charlie Nagreen, who in 1885 sold a meatball between two slices of bread at a fair in Wisconsin, in the US so customers could eat while walking. It is claimed that Nagreen named the hamburger after the Hamburg steak with which local German immigrants in the state were familiar. · German Otto Kuase who lived in Hamburg and, in 1891, created a beef patty cooked in butter and topped with a fried egg and then placed it between two slices of bread for the German sailors to eat on board rather than sit around a table. · Frank and Charles Menches, who claim to have sold a ground beef sandwich at a county fair in 1885 in Hamburg, New York. During the fair, they ran out of pork sausage for their sandwiches so purchased chopped up beef from a butcher. The story notes that the name of the hamburger comes from Hamburg, New York and not Hamburg, Germany. · Fletcher Davis of Athens, Texas also claimed to have invented the hamburger. According to oral histories, in the 1880s he opened a lunch counter and served a 'burger' of fried ground beef patties with mustard and onion between two slices of bread, with a pickle on the side.
Whoever you believe, there is no question that hamburgers are one of the greatest creations in the history of food and there's nothing tastier and more satisfying than biting into a juicy burger filled with all your favourite ingredients. Served with a side of fries and onion rings it's a dish for everyone and for all seasons!
And to celebrate International Hamburger Day, we asked the head of Capsicum Culinary Studio's Johannesburg campus, Nadia Barnard, as well as two chefs from the school - Marlon De Freitas (Cape Town) and Charne Wylie (Port Elizabeth) - for their favourite burger recipes.
Nadia Barnard's Lamb Burger (makes 4)
“Personally, I love a Greek-inspired Hamburger, however the 100% lamb patties are extremely rich. I prefer to combine lamb mince with lean beef mince to even out the richness,” says Barnard. Ingredients:
For the Burger Patties · 1 onion finely chopped · 250g lamb mince · 250g lean beef mince · 2 cloves of garlic finely chopped · 1egg · 1 tsp cumin · 1 teaspoon paprika (not smoked) · ¼ cup mint finely chopped · ¼ cup parsley finely chopped · ¼ tsp salt · 1 tbs oil
To Build the Burger · 4 burger buns · 2 tomatoes sliced · ½ red onion sliced · 4 gherkins sliced
For the Tzatziki · ¾ English cucumber peeled and sliced · 1 tsp sea salt · 2 cloves of garlic peeled & minced · 1 tsp white vinegar · 1 tbs extra virgin olive oil · 2 cups Greek yoghurt · ¼ tsp ground white pepper
Method for the Burger Patties · In a large bowl combine the beef and lamb mince, finely chopped onion, finely chopped garlic, egg, cumin, paprika, finely chopped parsley, finely chopped mint, salt and pepper. Combine well. · Shape into patties and refrigerate until ready to cook. · Heat the oil in a frying pan to a medium heat and cook the patties for 7 to 10 minutes on each side or until cooked through. · Assemble the fresh ingredients for the burger. · Spread each top and bottom bun with tzatziki sauce. · Stack your fresh ingredients and cooked patty on the dressed burger buns.
Method for the Tzatziki · Prepare the cucumber by peeling and deseeding the cucumber. Grate the cucumbers with a medium coarse grater. · Toss the grated cucumber with ½ teaspoon sea salt. · Transfer the salted and grated cucumber to a fine mesh strainer over a deep bowl to drain. Spoon the grated cucumber into a muslin cloth or a double thickness napkin and squeeze dry. Set aside. · In a large mixing bowl, place the minced garlic with the remaining ½ teaspoon salt, white vinegar, and extra virgin olive oil. Mix to combine. · Add the grated cucumber to the large bowl with the garlic mixture. Stir in the yogurt and white pepper. Combine thoroughly. Cover tightly and refrigerate for a couple of hours. · When ready to serve, stir the tzatziki sauce to refresh and add dollops of the sauce onto the burgers. Chef Marlon De Freitas' Crumbed Chicken Burger (makes 4): Ingredients: · 4 skinless chicken breasts · 2 eggs · Flour · Toasted corn flakes · Chilli powder · Salt and pepper
Method Clean and butterfly the chicken breasts and season with salt and pepper. Finely crush cornflakes and add to flour that has been seasoned with the chilli powder Whisk eggs and place in a bowl. Dip each chicken fillet into the egg then into the seasoned flour. Do this process twice to get a great crust Add enough oil to a pan to shallow fry. Once oil has heated (make sure not too hot!) add the crumbed chicken fillet and cook each one for 4-5 minutes each side until both sides are sealed with a golden colour. Remove from pan and drain on a paper towel. Cover with a lid and allow to steam for 5 minutes. Place onto toasted sesame seed bun and add toppings (see below)
Burger Toppings Ingredients: · Pineapple and cucumber chilli salsa with fresh coriander · Iceberg lettuce · Feta cheese · Whole roasted red pepper with skin removed and sliced. · Home-made lemon aioli
Method for Salsa Peel pineapple and slice, finely chop one red chilli. Cut cucumber into bite size pieces and mix with chilli, pineapple and the juice of ¼ lemon. Chop coriander add to the mixture season with salt and set aside to infuse. Method for Lemon Aioli Zest and juice ½ a lemon. Whisk two eggs yolk in a bowl and slowly pour in 100ml oil, whisking constantly until blended. Add the lemon juice and zest and whisk until incorporated. Add salt and pepper for seasoning and set aside for later use.
There are probably more hamburger outlets in the world than any other fast food franchises, and certainly the likes of McDonalds and Burger King can be found in almost every country in the world.
While there is much talk about the decline of burger restaurants as people become more health-conscious, burger joints remain the largest segment of the restaurant industry. Collectively, in the US alone, the burger market is worth more than $122 billion (R2,2 trillion!) and continues to grow. It's no less popular in South Africa with most family restaurants listing burgers on their menu.
So, it's no wonder that this dish should have its own day to celebrate - the International Hamburger Day - which takes place on Thursday, May 28. But why are hamburgers so popular? The answer could partly be because a burger is so versatile and can be filled with whatever combination of meat and toppings are favoured. There are hundreds of different permutations - from the main filling (beef, lamb, chicken, fish, vegetarian, vegan) to the buns (ciabatta, cheese, sesame seed, brioche) and the added ingredients (lettuce, tomato, pickles, cheese, bacon, beetroot, egg, avo, onions etc.), not to mention the myriad of sauce options (BBQ, chutney, tomato, mayo, mustard, mushroom, monkeygland etc.).
But what is the history of the humble hamburger? No-one really knows, although throughout the years there have been many claimants to the title of “Inventor of the Hamburger” including:
· Louis Lassen is who is said to have sold the first hamburger and steak sandwich in the US in 1900 although the dish had no name until some rowdy sailors from Hamburg named the meat on a bun after themselves years later. · Charlie Nagreen, who in 1885 sold a meatball between two slices of bread at a fair in Wisconsin, in the US so customers could eat while walking. It is claimed that Nagreen named the hamburger after the Hamburg steak with which local German immigrants in the state were familiar. · German Otto Kuase who lived in Hamburg and, in 1891, created a beef patty cooked in butter and topped with a fried egg and then placed it between two slices of bread for the German sailors to eat on board rather than sit around a table. · Frank and Charles Menches, who claim to have sold a ground beef sandwich at a county fair in 1885 in Hamburg, New York. During the fair, they ran out of pork sausage for their sandwiches so purchased chopped up beef from a butcher. The story notes that the name of the hamburger comes from Hamburg, New York and not Hamburg, Germany. · Fletcher Davis of Athens, Texas also claimed to have invented the hamburger. According to oral histories, in the 1880s he opened a lunch counter and served a 'burger' of fried ground beef patties with mustard and onion between two slices of bread, with a pickle on the side.
Whoever you believe, there is no question that hamburgers are one of the greatest creations in the history of food and there's nothing tastier and more satisfying than biting into a juicy burger filled with all your favourite ingredients. Served with a side of fries and onion rings it's a dish for everyone and for all seasons!
And to celebrate International Hamburger Day, we asked the head of Capsicum Culinary Studio's Johannesburg campus, Nadia Barnard, as well as two chefs from the school - Marlon De Freitas (Cape Town) and Charne Wylie (Port Elizabeth) - for their favourite burger recipes.
Nadia Barnard's Lamb Burger (makes 4)
“Personally, I love a Greek-inspired Hamburger, however the 100% lamb patties are extremely rich. I prefer to combine lamb mince with lean beef mince to even out the richness,” says Barnard. Ingredients:
For the Burger Patties · 1 onion finely chopped · 250g lamb mince · 250g lean beef mince · 2 cloves of garlic finely chopped · 1egg · 1 tsp cumin · 1 teaspoon paprika (not smoked) · ¼ cup mint finely chopped · ¼ cup parsley finely chopped · ¼ tsp salt · 1 tbs oil
To Build the Burger · 4 burger buns · 2 tomatoes sliced · ½ red onion sliced · 4 gherkins sliced
For the Tzatziki · ¾ English cucumber peeled and sliced · 1 tsp sea salt · 2 cloves of garlic peeled & minced · 1 tsp white vinegar · 1 tbs extra virgin olive oil · 2 cups Greek yoghurt · ¼ tsp ground white pepper
Method for the Burger Patties · In a large bowl combine the beef and lamb mince, finely chopped onion, finely chopped garlic, egg, cumin, paprika, finely chopped parsley, finely chopped mint, salt and pepper. Combine well. · Shape into patties and refrigerate until ready to cook. · Heat the oil in a frying pan to a medium heat and cook the patties for 7 to 10 minutes on each side or until cooked through. · Assemble the fresh ingredients for the burger. · Spread each top and bottom bun with tzatziki sauce. · Stack your fresh ingredients and cooked patty on the dressed burger buns.
Method for the Tzatziki · Prepare the cucumber by peeling and deseeding the cucumber. Grate the cucumbers with a medium coarse grater. · Toss the grated cucumber with ½ teaspoon sea salt. · Transfer the salted and grated cucumber to a fine mesh strainer over a deep bowl to drain. Spoon the grated cucumber into a muslin cloth or a double thickness napkin and squeeze dry. Set aside. · In a large mixing bowl, place the minced garlic with the remaining ½ teaspoon salt, white vinegar, and extra virgin olive oil. Mix to combine. · Add the grated cucumber to the large bowl with the garlic mixture. Stir in the yogurt and white pepper. Combine thoroughly. Cover tightly and refrigerate for a couple of hours. · When ready to serve, stir the tzatziki sauce to refresh and add dollops of the sauce onto the burgers. Chef Marlon De Freitas' Crumbed Chicken Burger (makes 4): Ingredients: · 4 skinless chicken breasts · 2 eggs · Flour · Toasted corn flakes · Chilli powder · Salt and pepper
Method Clean and butterfly the chicken breasts and season with salt and pepper. Finely crush cornflakes and add to flour that has been seasoned with the chilli powder Whisk eggs and place in a bowl. Dip each chicken fillet into the egg then into the seasoned flour. Do this process twice to get a great crust Add enough oil to a pan to shallow fry. Once oil has heated (make sure not too hot!) add the crumbed chicken fillet and cook each one for 4-5 minutes each side until both sides are sealed with a golden colour. Remove from pan and drain on a paper towel. Cover with a lid and allow to steam for 5 minutes. Place onto toasted sesame seed bun and add toppings (see below)
Burger Toppings Ingredients: · Pineapple and cucumber chilli salsa with fresh coriander · Iceberg lettuce · Feta cheese · Whole roasted red pepper with skin removed and sliced. · Home-made lemon aioli
Method for Salsa Peel pineapple and slice, finely chop one red chilli. Cut cucumber into bite size pieces and mix with chilli, pineapple and the juice of ¼ lemon. Chop coriander add to the mixture season with salt and set aside to infuse. Method for Lemon Aioli Zest and juice ½ a lemon. Whisk two eggs yolk in a bowl and slowly pour in 100ml oil, whisking constantly until blended. Add the lemon juice and zest and whisk until incorporated. Add salt and pepper for seasoning and set aside for later use.
Bobotie* Burger recipe by Chef Charne Wylie (makes 4):
Ingredients:
· 500g good quality beef mince
· Salt and pepper
· 1 ½ tsp medium curry powder
· 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
· 1 teaspoon vinegar
· 1 teaspoon apricot jam
· 2 tomatoes, sliced
· Chutney to serve
· 1 red onion, sliced
· 4 fried eggs for serving (optional)
· 4 burger buns (see recipe for homemade buns)
Method Season the beef mince with salt, pepper, curry powder and turmeric and mix well. Add the vinegar and apricot jam and mix well. Use a patty press or your hands to make four burger patties. Do not handle or touch the meat too much, less means more taste. Braai the patties over medium coals or grill pan until medium done. A few minutes before the patties are done, toast the burger buns on the grill. Build the burger by starting with the toasted buns, then tomatoes followed by the patty. Pour a generous helping of chutney over the patty and top with red onions. Serve the burger with a fried egg on top
Burger Bun Recipe
Ingredients: · 600g white bread flour · 10g salt · 400ml lukewarm water · 40ml butter or oil · 20g sugar · 10g instant yeast · Egg (egg wash)
Method for Burger Buns Dissolve yeast and sugar in water in a large bowl and let stand for about 3 minutes. Add dry ingredients and mix until it forms a soft dough.
Cover and leave in a warm place until dough has doubled in size (30-60 minutes) Punch dough down. Shape into buns and let rise until doubled in size. Egg wash buns before baking for that glossy look. Bake at 180° until golden brown (about 20 minutes). Remove and spread top with a bit of butter which gives the bun its final glossy look.
Method Season the beef mince with salt, pepper, curry powder and turmeric and mix well. Add the vinegar and apricot jam and mix well. Use a patty press or your hands to make four burger patties. Do not handle or touch the meat too much, less means more taste. Braai the patties over medium coals or grill pan until medium done. A few minutes before the patties are done, toast the burger buns on the grill. Build the burger by starting with the toasted buns, then tomatoes followed by the patty. Pour a generous helping of chutney over the patty and top with red onions. Serve the burger with a fried egg on top
Burger Bun Recipe
Ingredients: · 600g white bread flour · 10g salt · 400ml lukewarm water · 40ml butter or oil · 20g sugar · 10g instant yeast · Egg (egg wash)
Method for Burger Buns Dissolve yeast and sugar in water in a large bowl and let stand for about 3 minutes. Add dry ingredients and mix until it forms a soft dough.
Cover and leave in a warm place until dough has doubled in size (30-60 minutes) Punch dough down. Shape into buns and let rise until doubled in size. Egg wash buns before baking for that glossy look. Bake at 180° until golden brown (about 20 minutes). Remove and spread top with a bit of butter which gives the bun its final glossy look.
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