a day ago
Celebrity chef Curtis Stone spills his secrets for the perfect burger - and the unexpected ingredient he ALWAYS adds to his sauce
Celebrity chef Curtis Stone has spilled his secrets to the perfect beef burger - including the unexpected ingredient he always adds to his sauce.
The TV chef made what he declared to be the 'best ever' smash burger, which consisted of 12 ingredients.
His secret burger sauce formula includes mayonnaise, tomato sauce, pickles, Dijon mustard - and one unlikely ingredient for added flavour: kimchi.
'That's right, chopped kimchi is an absolute winner,' the Coles ambassador said in a video posted on the supermarket's Instagram page.
'This sauce is the difference between a good burger and an unbelievable burger.'
Kimchi, a traditional Korean side dish made from fermented Chinese cabbage, is known for its spicy, sour and umami flavour.
The Aussie-born restaurateur, who lives in Los Angeles, said he always starts with caramelising the onions with butter.
'These are the secrets to my best ever beef burger,' Curtis explained.
Celebrity chef Curtis Stone has spilled his secrets to the perfect beef burger - including the unusual ingredient he always adds to his sauce
'First we're going to make the onions because burgers just aren't the same without them. What we're looking for here is sweet, golden, beautifully caramelised onions.'
Next, the cookbook author shapes the beef mince into meatballs before placing baking paper over the top to flatten them into a burger patty, just slightly wider than the size of the buns.
The flattening technique results in a crispy, caramelised crust around the patty.
'Smashing your patty will make it cook faster and caramelise, bringing out the flavour,' he said.
Curtis doesn't season the patty on both sides with salt and pepper until it's searing on the pan.
'I know lots of people will put all sorts of stuff inside the meat but I don't,' he said.
'I just keep it very, very simple. It's really quite thin which means it's going to cook really quickly.
'You want to make sure you've got a really nice contact with that grill. It's going to get beautifully caramelised all over.
'The best part of all - it only takes a minute or two.'
The chef said toasting the buns allows them to soak up more of the burger juices and he urges home cooks to avoid using extra lean mince for burgers as they are not as succulent.
The video has been viewed more than 12,000 times - with many saying they were keen to recreate the beef burgers at home.
'Yes, I'd devour that,' one said.
'It looks amazing,' another shared.
Curtis Stone's best ever burgers
Curtis Stone's best-ever smash burgers are next level - a recipe you'll be making on repeat thanks to a flattening technique that results in a crispy, caramelised crust.
INGREDIENTS
10g butter
1 large brown onion, thinly sliced
1/4 tsp salt
500g Coles No Added Hormones Australian 3 Star Beef Mince
4 slices gruyère, gouda or vintage cheddar
4 Coles Bakery Crusty Jumbo Rolls, split, toasted
Tomato slices, to serve
Shredded iceberg lettuce, to serve
Oven-baked chips, to serve
Burger sauce
1/4 cup (75g) mayonnaise
2 tbs tomato sauce (ketchup)
1 tbs chopped dill pickles, plus 1 tsp pickle juice, reserved
1 tbs kimchi, drained, chopped
1 tsp Dijon mustard
METHOD
1. In a medium frying pan over medium-high heat, melt the butter.
2. Add the onion and 1/4 tsp salt. Cook, stirring often, for 5 mins or until onion begins to soften.
3. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring often, for 12-15 mins or until the onion caramelises and is tender. Remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper and cover to keep warm.
4. Meanwhile, to make the burger sauce, in a medium bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, tomato sauce, chopped pickles, pickle juice, kimchi and mustard. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Shape the mince into 4 equal-sized meatballs. On a clean work surface, place a 12cm square piece of baking paper over the top of 1 meatball. Using the base of a baking tray or the bottom of a glass, press down on the meatball to flatten into a burger patty that is just slightly wider than the buns. Repeat to make 4 burger patties.
6. Heat a large heavy-based frying pan over high heat. Add 2 patties to the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 2 mins or until brown and crisp. Turn the patties, season and top each patty with a cheese slice. Cook for 2 mins or until cooked through. Transfer to a baking tray. Repeat with remaining patties and cheese slices.
7. Arrange the bun bases and tops, cut-sides up, on a clean work surface and spread with the burger sauce. Top the bases with patties, onion, tomato, lettuce and bun tops.
8. Divide among serving plates and serve with chips and any remaining burger sauce.
