A couple of posts ago, I was bemoaning the fact that there hasn’t been a summer to speak of in 2010.
I may have been exaggerating, ever so slightly.
I am making this reluctant confession of my tendency to spout dramatic statements, purely because I want to tell you about a BBQ I went to. It was in May and I distinctly remember sunshine and summeriness…
Also – the weather yesterday was AMAZING! I even have a touch of sunburn, along with a hangover from taking advantage of a beer garden in the sun…
Anyway, back to the post. The BBQ was hosted by the lovely Maxine, and the selection of food was incredible! Not least the home made burgers I took along (this is not the time for modesty; they were stunning).
Just because the weather is unpredictable, doesn’t mean these beauties can’t be enjoyed once again. My mum made some the other week and fried them, and they were every bit as good!
It was some years ago that I came across a recipe that called for stuffing the burgers with cheese. Unfortunately, I can’t remember where I saw it; but to whoever invented this phenomenon… you deserve a knighthood at the very least.
I made 6 ridiculously large burgers out of these ingredients – I think they could easily make 8-10 fair sized ones.
1kg x beef mince (don’t get extra lean, you want a little fat to keep the burger juicy).
1/2 x onion, chopped finely (I didn’t chop it as finely as I should have in the picture above).
1 x handful of finely chopped fresh basil (for the Italian twist)
1 x egg, beaten
150g x mozzarella slices (I used these ones)
I put the ingredients in a bowl (minus the mozzarella), seasoned with plenty of salt & pepper, then mixed everything together with my hands. Messy, but necessary.
I took a small handful of the mixture out, shaped it into a patty with my hands, then placed 2 slices of mozzarella cheese on top.
I formed another small patty, then placed on top of the mozzarella, pressing down on the edges to combine and seal the mozzarella inside the burger. I repeated this for the rest of the burgers.
I put them in the fridge to set, until it was time to go to the BBQ (if you’re not partaking in some BBQ antics, please give it 30mins or so in the fridge to set before cooking).
Shove on the bbq and watch the oozy, cheesy goodness occur. Turn frequently.
These took about 20 mins because they were humungous!
When mum made the smaller versions (she used 500g beef and got 4 burgers out of it), she fried them for about 5-7 mins on each side.
Serve with your favourite relish and some salad if you please!
Unfortunately I was unable to get a picture of the finished product, sitting proud in it’s bun. I was too hungry (and possibly intoxicated) to remember to take a photo, sorry!
So I will leave you with a photo of my favourite part of that day… meeting Maxine’s next door neighbours pug! I wanted to steal him!
There is another recipe to come from this wonderful day. Maxine’s daughter Celine’s Oreo Truffles! I will post about it soon, they are almost tear inducingly good.
Do you have a favourite burger recipe?
Oooh they look gorgeous! I wanted to have a BBQ yesterday but the weather was too bad. I think summer is over, so if I make these I will, like your Mum, fry them.
I got the shock of my life when the sun came out yesterday, it was roasting in Glasgow! Hope you like them 🙂
Ooooh….I learn a new trick here…hide mozzarella cheese inside burger for that cheesy, oozy look and taste 😀 Must be fantastic in taste. Thanks very much for sharing. Can’t wait to see the Oreo Truffles!
Thanks Mary, they were delicious!
I was watching Barefoot Contessa one day and Ina Garten stuffed a square of butter inside a burger patty. I might try that one too, but I will need to hit the gym first! :p
Yum, they look lovely, if the weather is nice at the weekend I may have to fire the bbq up and give these a go.
I would thoroughly recommend them, Andy 🙂 I’m craving them again right now, but I’ve been a tad indulgent of late. So I’m going to be focusing on making tasty healthy dishes for a while (boo hiss heheh) 🙂
Those burgers look amazing! And what a great BBQ shot.
Sunshine though? Where were you? Haven’t had a good BBQ day here for ages. I’ve got a freezer full of ribs waiting….. 🙂
Thanks 🙂 It was back in May in a house in Eaglesham. Just got round to blogging about it (it was really sunny here in Glasgow on Sunday, so it inspired me to post!).
Fingers crossed you get BBQ weather soon, Mike! 🙂
Hi – love those huge burgers! And the pug is really cute!
Thanks Jan 🙂 I know, I want a little pug to call my own, I think they’re adorable!
I loved the pic of you and pug, how cutie 🙂
ofcourse cheesy point goes for delicious burgers…looking fwd for the truffles
😀 I just hope we get some more BBQ weather so I can use it as an excuse to skip the diet 😉 I’ll get the truffle recipe up soon, they’re VERY indulgent mmmmm!
What a great idea! I’ve never tried stuffing a burger before but it seems like it would be great for the little sliders too. Yum!
Thanks Tracy 🙂 I had to google what Sliders meant haha, but you’re right! 😀
Wow – cheese stuffed burgers sound heavenly!
What a simple idea – I must have a go at these. The supermarket link you gave for the Mozzarella doesn’t work, by the way, unless you are logged into their site. I haven’t seen slices in the branch I go to but will have a look next time – or I suppose I could just slice up a Mozzarella ball.
hopeeternal
‘Meanderings through my Cookbook’
http://www.hopeeternalcookbook.wordpress.com
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