Char-grilled Aussie Beef Burger

Read the related post on "What is Australian Cuisine?"

How to char-grill or barbecue burger patties:

For Australian burgers, patties must be charred to perfection else they aren't dinkum. How to char-grill with cast iron griddle:

1. Preheat the griddle to hot. For cast iron grill pan, hot is around low-medium on an electric stove. When hot enough, water droplets sizzle and evaporate immediately to steam.
2. Rub oil from a paper towel.
3. Oil the burger patties with extra virgin olive oil. Do not pour oil on the griddle.
4. Cook the patties until moisture appears on the top before turning.
5. When cooked, the patties firm up. Remove and rest for 5 minutes in a warm oven.

For full instructions, check out this link. Instructions on using open coals are found here.

To make 2 Aussie beef burgers:

2 premium beef mince patties, recipe below, barbecued to Australian standards, ie charred
Italian inspired salad, with gherkins that kids hate, given below
Char-grilled seasonal vegetables, given below
2 fresh bread buns, best home made using recipe below

The ingredients are typical of flavours borrowed from Italian dishes, with a slight slant from Australian bush tucker ingredients, and Asian vegetables in place of lettuce.

To assemble the Aussie beef burger:
Slice bread buns in half and butter. Place until griller at 250 degrees Celsius for 5 minutes until crisp and golden. On the bottom bun half, place the char-grilled beef patties and vegetables. Carefully top with the salad vegetables and cover with the top bun half.

To serve the Aussie beef burger:
Skewer the burger to hold in place. Place on a plate. Serve with side sauces like Dijon mustard, chutney and tomato sauce.

How to eat an Aussie beef burger:
To eat the burger the Australian way as part of a BBQ, use both hands and chomp your way through. Make sure the TV or radio is turned on to a sports program. To eat the cultured way in a restaurant, remove the skewer, then carefully remove the salad half of the burger from the char-grilled half using the table knife. Eat with fork and knife, or carefully cut burger to bite size with the table knife in the right hand, and use left hand fingers to pick up the cut pieces. This gentile way of eating is a reflection of British heritage.



Aussie Burger Patties
250 g beef steak, minced
1 shallot, finely diced
1 garlic, smashed
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh herbs (home ground oregano, thyme, parsley)
1 egg, beaten
1 bread slice
1/4 t paprika or chilli flakes
1/4 t black peppercorn, freshly ground
pinch salt, pepper
pinch akudjura (bush tomato)
pinch mountain pepperleaf
1 t extra virgin olive oil, for oiling the patties

Mix all ingredients together after softening the bread with egg. Do not over mix: the burger should taste like steak with a meaty texture, not sausage mince. It is best to make the burgers fresh to avoid the marinated texture. This is the difference between the great gourmet char-grilled Aussie beef burger and the fast food burger. Just before cooking, oil the patties. On hot summer days, keep the patties in the fridge until ready to cook.

Salad
1 beetroot
1 t balsamic vinegar
1/2 t extra virgin olive oil
1/2 salad onion (red or white), slivered
1 T continental parsley leaves (home grown)
1 vein ripened tomato, sliced
2 pickled dill gherkins, sliced
2 slices quality cheddar

Boil the beetroot for 30 minutes until cooked. Cool, peel and slice. Dress with balsamic and extra virgin olive oil. Carefully stack the beetroot, onion, parsley, tomato and dill pickle over the slices of cheddar.

Char-grilled Vegetables
1 handful Asian greens (choy sum or bok choy)
1 capsicum, sliced into rings (slip in some chilli here)
1 onion, sliced into rings
salt, pepper

Wilt the Asian greens on the griddle. Char-grill the capsicum and onion rings. Remove from griddle. Season with salt and pepper.

Bread Buns
To make 4 x 100 g buns:
250 g (2 c) atta flour (wholewheat flour from Indian grocer)
1/2 t (2 g) salt
1 t (4 g) active dried yeast
2 t (10 g) sugar
170 mL warm water
1 t (4 g) Lecimax improver, optional for better rise and crust
1/2 t (1 g) lecithin granules, optional for longer shelf life
1/2 t vinegar, for faster yeast activity
1 t olive oil

Mix and knead dough as for bread making using the double proof method. Ensure the yeast is alive by activating with the warm water and sugar before mixing the dough. Divide into 4 buns. Sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds. Let rise for about 1 hour until double. Bake at 220 degrees Celsius for 15 minutes.

Variations for Italian Bread

Add the following to the bread dough before shaping:
Flavour 1: 1 T chopped semi-dried tomato, 1 T slivered olives
Flavour 2: 1 T chopped dates, 1 t freshly chopped rosemary

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Moroccan Beef Casserole

2 onions, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 carrots, cubed
2 teaspoons coriander seeds, crushed
2 teaspoons cumin seeds, crushed
2 teaspoons turmeric
400 g gravy beef, cubed
1 x 400 g canned tomatoes in tomato juice
2 strips lemon zest
1 x 400 g canned chickpeas, washed and drained
400 g potatoes, cubed
2 teaspoons cumin seeds, crushed (extra)
olive oil, about 4 tablespoons

In a cast iron casserole heated to medium temperature, saute onions in 1 tablespoon oil until yellow. Add the garlic. Saute until the onion starts to brown. Add the carrots and saute for 1-2 minutes. Remove from the pan.

Add more oil. Fry the meat, in batches, until starting to brown. Remove.

Add more oil. Toast the coriander and cumin until aromatic. Add the turmeric. Return the meat and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the carrot mixture. Pour in the canned tomatoes. Add enough water to cover the top of the meat and carrots.

Reduce the temperature to low, cover the casserole and simmer gently for 1 hour.

In a separate pan, toast the extra cumin in about 1 tablespoon oil. Toss the potatoes in the oil. Saute for 1-2 minutes. Add the potatoes and the chickpeas to the casserole. Adjust water to cover the meat and vegetables.

Simmer for another hour until the potatoes are cooked.

Serve with couscous, cooked with mint, lemon zest and turmeric, and boiled broccoli florets.

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Boneless Beef Shin

There's only one foolproof way of transforming a frugal cut like boneless beef shin into a restaurant meal to please the worst food critic in town, such as John the villain in this blog. The secret is slow cooking at low temperature to melt the tough gristle into sumptuous gelatine.

To get this beef cut, check out Wing Hong, at 402 William Street in Northbridge which offers it at $7.79/kg.


Lightly oil the beef. The oil keeps the roast moist rather than develops the flavour during cooking as the temperature is not high enough.

Season with salt, pepper and fennel if liked.

Refrigerate overnight or up to 72 hours. Bring to room temperature before cooking in an oven preheated at 75 degrees Celsius. Place the meat in a ceramic container which retains the heat well during cooking.

Allow 6 hrs to bring 600 g of meat to 60 degrees Celsius for medium rare. Check that the meat is cooked to your liking using a meat thermometer or a skewer to test the juices. If you like medium to well done, the juice should run clear.

Rest for at least 30 minutes before serving. It is best to under cooked as the meat will continue cooking while resting. The cooking can always be finished off by searing in a hot pan


The cooked beef looks pink on the inside and brown on the outside. Don't be fooled by the colour: the meat looks pink even when well done.



A juicy roast tastes great with horseradish sauce and creamed broccoli, cauliflower or spinach as part of a main course. Thin slices, cut after lightly freezing, works well in cold entree platters.

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