Q: I find that a lot of pre-made and fast food joints make burgers stuffed with all sorts of rubbish how can I make the best beef burger that doesn’t shrink and loose flavour?

A: Beef burgers are very easy to make at home and can also be much healthier as you know exactly whats going into them. When buying the mince buy the best quality lean mince you can afford, but with a little fat to keep it moist. The  jungle oats or breadcrumbs in the mix helps to retain moisture and keep the patties nice and juicy.

Next month at Wickedfood Cooking School we will be teaching a 30 minute meals class where we will be making these burgers along with Thai vegetable curry, chicken breast with feta and pasta, chilli steak wraps, penne with a rich tomato vodka cream sauce,and  fried fish with oven chips. A great class to introduce anyone into the kitchen or just to get new and exciting meals to make after a a long day at the office.

Mince patties
250g beef mince
1 egg
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
1/4 cup Jungle oats or breadcrumbs
1T tomato sauce
1/2T chutney
1t Worcestershire sauce
1t salt

1T grapeseed oil
4 round bread rolls
Tomato sauce (optional)
1 onion (preferably red), thinly sliced (optional)
1 large tomato, thinly sliced
4 salad leaves, washed and dried

Making the meat patties

• Combine the meat patty ingredients together in a large bowl ensuring that they are well mixed.
• Divide the meat patties into 4, place each portion of mince onto a board and mould into flat round shapes, about the size of the rolls.

Making the burgers

• Slice the rolls open and spread the base with a thin layer of tomato sauce. Cover with a thin layer of onion and tomato.
  The patties can be either grilled or fried.
  • To fry – heat the oil in a pan, and then fry the patties, in two batches, on each side for about 4 minutes. Keep warm.
  • To grill – heat the grill, and once hot, place the patties on a grill pan, lined with foil, grilling each side for about 4 minutes, until done. Keep warm.
• Place a meat patty into each roll, topped with a lettuce leaf.

Serves 2

Wickedfood Cooking School

Sunninghill – (011) 234-3252sunninghill@wickedfood.co.za

Wickedfood Cooking School Johannesburg runs cooking classes throughout the year at its purpose-built cooking studios. Classes are run in the mornings and evenings 7 days a week (subject to a minimum of 12 people). The venue is also popular for corporate events and private functions – team building cooking classes, birthdays, kitchen teas, and dinner parties with a difference.

Our classes are hands-on, where every person gets to participate in the preparation of the dishes. They are also a lot of fun where you not only learn new skills, but get to meet people with similar interests. For corporate groups and team building cooking classes these classes are a novel way of creating staff interaction or entertaining clients.