Insanity Burger From 'Jamie Oliver's Comfort Food'

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Photograph: David Loftus

There are those of you who might be wondering why you need yet another burger recipe, and then there are those who just can't get enough. This burger fromJamie Oliver's Comfort Foodis for both of you: it delivers classic flavor all juiced up and a little weird, in a wonderful way. Oliver takes the traditional components and gets kinda nutty with them, adding slight twists that really do make this a worth-a-try-even-if-you're-sick-of-burgers burger.

The onions are dressed with vinegar, the cheese is slightly tangy Red Leicester, the bacon and pickles are...bacon and pickles. Then he takes finely chopped iceberg lettuce and mixes it into a sauce that one might say is 'special'—mayo and ketchup with chipotle Tabasco, Worcestershire, and a splash of booze (just go with it; it works and is silly good). The burger itself gets glazed with mustard and more of the smoky Tabasco while it cooks, then it's all piled on a seeded brioche bun, which has been briefly toasted in the bacon fat. Bonkers. You'll have juice up to your elbows and a plate full of run-off that you will want to wipe clean with a torn piece of bun or your tongue, depending on how insane it makes you feel.

Why I picked this recipe:I fall into the just-can't-get-enough camp.

What worked:It all worked, except for the eventual structural failure of the bun.

What didn't:Not a complaint, but just a heads-up: Things can get a little hairy if your bacon needs tending when you're supposed to be basting your burgers, and it does need to be perfectly done just at the moment your burger is ready for it, to avoid overcooking the meat. That said, his timing did work for me.

Suggested tweaks:I don't see why you couldn't cook your bacon beforehand, if you want a more relaxed experience; just remember to heat the grease back up in time to toast the buns. If you can't find Red Leicester cheese, a mild cheddar would work well in its place.

FromJamie Oliver's Comfort Foodby Jamie Oliver. Copyright 2014 Jamie Oliver. Excerpted by permission of Ecco, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

Recipe Facts

Prep:20 mins
Cook:15 mins
Active:35 mins
Total:35 mins
Serves:4 servings

Rate & Comment

开云体育波胆

  • 1 3/4poundsground chuck steak

  • Olive oil

  • 1largered onion

  • 1splashofwhite wine vinegar

  • 1pinchsea salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 2large葫芦科植物

  • 4sesame-topped brioche burgerbuns

  • 4–8slicesofsmoked bacon

  • 4teaspoonsyellow mustard

  • Tabasco Chipotle sauce

  • 4thin slicesofRed Leicester cheese

  • 4teaspoonstomato ketchup

Burger Sauce

  • 1/4ofaniceberg lettuce

  • 2heaping tablespoonsmayo

  • 1heaping tablespoontomato ketchup

  • 1teaspoonTabasco Chipotle sauce

  • 1teaspoonWorcestershire sauce

  • 1teaspoonbrandy orbourbon

Directions

  1. For the best burger, go to your butcher and ask them to grind 1 3/4 lbs of chuck steak for you. This cut has a really good balance of fat and flavorsome meat. Divide it into 4 and, with wet hands, roll each piece into a ball, then press into flat patties roughly 5 inches wide and about 3/4 inch wider than your buns. Place on an oiled plate and chill in the fridge. Next, finely slice the red onion, then dress in a bowl with the vinegar and a pinch of sea salt. Slice the gherkins and halve the buns. Finely chop the lettuce and mix with the rest of the burger sauce ingredients in a bowl, then season to taste.

  2. I like to cook only 2 burgers at a time to achieve perfection, so get two pans on the go—a large non-stick frying pan on a high heat for your burgers and another on a medium heat for the bacon. Pat your burgers with oil and season them with salt and pepper. Put 2 burgers into the first pan, pressing down on them with a slotted spatula, then put half the bacon into the other pan. After 1 minute, flip the burgers and brush each cooked side with a 1/2 teaspoon of mustard and a dash of Tabasco. After another minute, flip onto the mustard side and brush again with another 1/2 teaspoon of mustard and a second dash of Tabasco on the other side. Cook for 1 more minute, by which point you can place some crispy bacon on top of each burger with a slice of cheese. Add a tiny splash of water to the pan and place a heatproof bowl over the burgers to melt the cheese—30 seconds should do it. At the same time, toast 2 split buns in the bacon fat in the other pan until lightly golden. Repeat with the remaining 2 burgers.

  3. To build each burger, add a quarter of the burger sauce to the bun base, then top with a cheesy bacon burger, a quarter of the onions, and gherkins. Rub the bun top with a teaspoon of ketchup, then gently press together. As the burger rests, juices will soak into the bun, so serve right away, which is great, or for an extra-naughty experience, wrap each one in parchment paper, then give it a minute to get gorgeous and sloppy.

Nutrition Facts(per serving)
972 Calories
57克 Fat
46g Carbs
70g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 972
% Daily Value*
Total Fat57克 73%
Saturated Fat 21g 104%
Cholesterol238mg 79%
Sodium1063mg 46%
Total Carbohydrate46g 17%
Dietary Fiber 2g 8%
Total Sugars 11g
Protein70g
Vitamin C 3mg 17%
Calcium 204mg 16%
Iron 8mg 47%
Potassium 816mg 17%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)