The best Aussie Burger recipe

Now this is what I call a burger! It was devoured on Australia Day (26th January) and then I couldn’t move for about half an hour! WARNING – these burgers are addictive!!!

Every Australia Day, it’s tradition to eat barbequed sausages in bread, throw a shrimp on the barbie (BBQ), play some backyard cricket and enjoy a beer or two listening to some good tunes with friends and family. Fireworks end the day off perfectly. The Aussie burger is now a new tradition on Australia Day for us.

Ever since my friend Liz Posmyk, ate a burger and shared it on her Instagram a couple of weeks ago, I had a craving for a burger. I tried to fulfil my craving a couple of days later by eating a burger. Man, was I disappointed! I’ve had burgers from this place, we’ve eaten there many times before, yet the burger this time was not a burger at all. It was expensive, they charged extra for a side of fries and not that tasty.  It left a void in my heart and tummy. Australia Day was coming so instead of being disappointed with another burger, I decided to make my own. THE BEST BURGER – EVER!!!

Lamb is part of our culture in Australia. Enjoying a roasted leg of lamb once a month on a Sunday night, with all the trimmings, is something we look forward to. Having experienced a Greek-style lamb on the spit a few years ago was an Ahhh-May-Zing experience, one that’s hard to beat. Any meat cooked over coals is just the best, isn’t it! And lamb chops are never too far for a backyard barbie.

So lamb had to be the main ingredient for my Aussie burger patties. And what’s the perfect accompaniment to any roast lamb? Rosemary, garlic and possibly mint sauce. Can I just tell you that these flavours were the perfect combination. Never buy a burger patty ever again – make your own, they’re soooooooo easy. And you won’t be disappointed or have any unnecessary preservatives or ingredients in them.

To me, a burger has to have the lot. If you buy a burger from the fish & chip shop, which to me are still some of the best burgers around, the lot is a must, including pineapple. Pineapple is as Aussie as beetroot but my husband isn’t a sweet freak so pineapple was a no show in these burgers. Besides, these burgers are already a two hand job!

PREP: 2 hours + 15 minutes    COOK: 20 minutes     MAKES: 4 burgers
INGREDIENTS:
PATTIES:
500gms lamb mince
1 smoked roast garlic clove, minced with salt
½ tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
2 spring onions, finely sliced
½ tbsp mint sauce
½ tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 egg
¼ cup Panko breadcrumbs
Salt & pepper to taste

TO SERVE:
1 tbsp olive oil
4 eggs
4 rashers of bacon
Canola spray
4 bread rolls, cut in half
Cheese
1 large tomato
Lettuce leaves
4 large beetroot slices
Tomato sauce (optional)
Hot English mustard (optional)
Mayonnaise (optional)
Hot steak cut chips

METHOD:
Mix all the patty ingredients together in a large bowl. Cover and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours. Remove the meat 30 minutes prior to frying.

While meat is marinating, prepare the salad condiments – slice the cheese and tomatoes, pick lettuce leaves, drain beetroot.

Once the patty mixture has been removed from the fridge, divide the mixture into four. Make patties by flattening mixture into 4 egg rings. Set aside.

Heat a frypan on medium-high heat with the olive oil. Fry 4 eggs until desired gooeyness. Set aside on a paper towel lined plate.

Fry the bacon in the same pan. Set aside on a paper towel lined plate.

Fry the patties for 2-3 minutes each side until a nice crust has formed on each patty. Set aside on a paper towel lined plate to drain excess oil. Place the sliced cheese on each patty.

Spray the cut side of each bread roll with Canola spray. Place in a clean, dry, hot frypan, cut side down to toast. Remove once golden, about 1 minute.

Dress your burger – I started with lettuce on the bottom burger bun, followed by the lamb patty with melted cheese, bacon, beetroot, tomato and egg.

Add your favourite sauces – I love tomato sauce and mayonnaise, my hubby loves mustard.

Serve with hot chips.

COOKS TIPS:
I used a smoked roasted garlic clove in the patties. Use fresh garlic or minced garlic from a jar, whatever you have on hand is fine.

Always fry a small meatball to test the seasoning of the lamb patty. Adjust if needed – add more salt, pepper, Worcestershire.

Substitute the lamb with beef or pork if you like.

For a vegetarian option, use mushrooms and tofu for the patty.

These patties can be frozen for up 4 weeks.

Marinating meat gives extra flavour. Prepare the lamb patties today for tomorrow night’s dinner, leaving them marinate overnight.

You could also grill the lamb patties on the barbeque.

I used Oakleaf lettuce for its soft leaves. Use any lettuce you enjoy eating.

Have plenty of napkins handy, this burger can get messy 😉