Author: Insha Bukhari

Food blogger at www.hungerandhawhai.com.

This week, Amina Shah of American food blog, Zabiha Bites, asked to feature one of Hunger & Haw Hai’s recipes on her site.I was flattered and excited. To Amina, thank you, thank you, thank you, because I’m absolutely thrilled!

I’m setting up a super simple burger bar this week because regardless of which side of the Atlantic you’re on, we can all agree on the awesomeness of a big, juicy burger.

The only secret to building a burger bar is this; presentation! Take the time to make it look mouth-watering. It’s fairly simple because all you have to do is bust out a basic, bare-bones burger and arrange all your fresh ingredients on the side as optional toppings. That way, it’s no problem dealing with the “no onions, no tomatoes,” types and that’s really quite the crowd-pleaser.

Super Simple Burgers

I like my burgers fairly simple; soft, lightly toasted bun, moist meat, crisp lettuce and onions, a juicy slice or two of tomatoes and of course, secret sauce. But the beauty of this burger bar is that you select what sides to serve. If sautéed onions are your thing, go for it. Can’t chow down without cheese? Serve up some slices. Let your taste-buds take the lead.

This week, I’ve adapted Mark Bittman’s Favorite Burger. I’m a huge fan of beef, but in Pakistan, beef can have an unpleasant after-taste so I use minced mutton instead. If you happen to be living state-side, skip the substitute and bring on the beef!

The Super Simple Burger Bar (makes approx. 18 mini-burgers)

Adapted from How to Cook Everything: My Favorite Burger, by Mark Bittman

Ingredients Super Simple Burgers

• 1 kg (2 lbs) ground mutton or beef
• 1 large onion, finely minced
• 1 teaspoon garlic, finely minced
• 1 slice fresh bread, in coarse crumbs
• Salt, to taste
• Pepper, to taste
• 3-4 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 18 mini burger buns, halved

–       In a large bowl, combine the ground meat, onions, garlic, fresh breadcrumbs, and pepper. I sprinkle salt on top of the patties while cooking because I find it leaves the meat moist and juicy. Also, avoid over-mixing the meat, unless you like hockey pucks instead of patties.

–       Divide the meat into 12-18 meatballs, depending on how big you’d like your burgers. Gently press the meatballs into patties 1 inch thick and about 3½ inches wide. Cover and refrigerate for 15-20 minutes, allowing the patties to firm up slightly. This keeps them from falling apart when they hit the pan.

–       In a large frying pan, over a medium-high heat, heat 2 tablespoons of oil. Arrange 4-6 patties in the pan, being careful not to overcrowd. Cook approximately 2 minutes, flip, and cook for another 2 minutes and remove from the heat.

–       Once all the patties are cooked, turn down the heat and use the pan to gently toast the buns.

Super Simple Burgers

Ingredients Super Simple Sides

• Fresh lettuce leaves
• Sliced tomatoes
• Sliced onions
• Sliced pickles
• Sliced cheese
• Turkey bacon
• Sauteed mushrooms ( 2 cups sliced mushrooms + 1 ounce butter + 1 teaspoon garlic)
• Sauteed onions (2 cups sliced onions + 2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar + 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce)
• Fresh tomato salsa (1 can diced tomatoes + 1 medium onion diced + diced jalapenos + fresh cilantro + ground cumin )

–       Arrange sides in individual bowls.

Ingredients Super Simple Secret Sauce

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• ½ cup ketchup
• ¼ cup mustard
• 1-2 pickles, finely diced
• Salt, to taste

–       In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Until next time, think hard, think deep, and choose to be you.

Super Simple Burgers

To read the entire post, please visit http://www.hungerandhawhai.com/2013/01/simpleburgers.html.

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