26 August National Burger Day
Juicy beef patty, melted cheese, soft bun and a dream combination of condiments and toppings – nothing says ‘it’s the weekend!’ like a fully loaded burger for tea. National Burger Day is celebrated in the UK on the 26th August, so whether you’ll be firing up the BBQ at home or heading to your favourite burger restaurant, here are our top recipes and recommendations to help whet your appetite.
Classic beef
Ingredients (serves 4)
• 1 small onion, diced
• 500g good-quality beef mince
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 4 burger buns
• Salad and relish of your choice, to serve
Method:
Tip the beef mince into a bowl with the diced onion and egg, then mix well. Divide the mixture into four. Lightly wet your hands, then carefully roll the mixture into balls, each roughly the size of a tennis ball.
Set in the palm of your hand and gently squeeze down to flatten into patties about 3cm thick. Make sure all the burgers are the same thickness so that they will cook evenly. Put on a plate, cover and leave in the fridge to firm up for at least 30 minutes.
Heat the barbecue to medium hot. Lightly brush one side of each burger with vegetable oil. Place the burgers, oil-side down, on the barbecue. Cook for 5 minutes until the meat is lightly charred. Don’t move them around or they may stick. Oil the other side, then turn over using tongs. Don’t press down on the meat, as that will squeeze out all the lovely juices.
Cook for 5 minutes more for medium. If you like your burgers pink in the middle, cook for 1 minute less each side. For well-done burgers, cook for 1 minute more.
Take the burgers off the barbecue and leave to rest on a plate. Meanwhile, slice four burger buns in half. Place, cut side down, on the barbecue rack and toast for 1 minute until lightly charred. Place a burger inside each bun, then top with your choice of accompaniments (we’re pro-gherkins here at P&F HQ!).
Falafel
Ingredients (serves 4)
• 400g can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 small red onion, roughly chopped
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• Handful of parsley (see page 55 for tips on growing your own)
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• ½ tsp harissa paste or chilli powder
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 2 tbsp sunflower oil
• toasted pitta bread, to serve
• 200g tub tomato salsa, to serve
• Green salad, to serve
Method:
Drain and rinse the chickpeas and pat dry with kitchen paper. Tip into a food processor along with the onion, garlic, parsley, cumin, coriander, harissa paste, flour and a little salt. Blend until fairly smooth, then shape into four patties with your hands.
Heat the sunflower oil in a non-stick frying pan, and fry the burgers for 3 minutes on each side or until lightly golden. Serve with the toasted pitta bread, tomato salsa and green salad.
Give it some Sauce
Try these accompaniments with your next homemade burger:
Stokes sauces
Based in Rendlesham, Suffolk, Stokes have been producing quality condiments and preserves since 2004. Cook up a storm with their BBQ Essentials bundle, containing everything you’d ever want to put in a burger: Tomato Ketchup, Real Mayonnaise, Original BBQ Sauce, Sweet & Sticky BBQ Sauce and Burger Relish.
£15 | stokessauces.co.uk
Colman’s mustard
Famously based in Norwich, Norfolk, there’s nothing quite like the distinctive zingy flavour of Colman’s mustard. If you like a kick of fiery heat in your burgers, add a squeeze of English Squeezable mustard to get your tastebuds tingling. Colman’s also offer an Ultimate Burger seasoning mix to combine with mince or a meat-free alternative for a quick and easy takeaway-style dinner.
Mustard £1.70
colmans.co.uk
Candi’s chutney
Candi’s Chutney believes that using regional and seasonal produce from East Anglia is what helps to make their recipes so special. Their Hot Pow Wow Chutney is a sweet chilli and onion chutney with aromatic warmth that perfectly complements grilled meats and cheese – great to dollop on top of a cheeseburger!
£4.25
crush-foods.com
Suns out, Buns out
If you’d rather be served your burger (and who can blame you after months of cooking in lockdown?), here are our favourite places to get them hot off the grill.
The Smokehouse, Ormesby
Widely lauded for serving up the best burgers around, this southern American-style diner has a wide range of home-cooked and in-house smoked meals on their menu. With over twenty burgers on offer, all of which are served as double patties with rustic skin on or shoestring fries, house slaw and salad, you’re truly spoilt for choice. Will you opt for a juicy Brisket Burger, the Mac Attack (topped with mac‘n’cheese), a Cowboy Chicken Sandwich or will you brave the aptly-named Triple Bypass – five patties stacked with pulled pork, pulled chicken, brisket, cheese and onion rings? Either way, stretchy waistbands are recommended!
Zaks, Norfolk
Zaks has been a staple in Norwich and Norfolk since 1976. Its famous chargrilled burgers are still made from 100% British beef by the same local company and are cooked fresh to order. Each 6oz patty is served in a toasted bun with beef tomato, lettuce, red onion, dill pickle, mayo and a choice of ‘taters. Our go-tos are The PB (smooth peanut butter, maple and red pepper glaze, bacon and crispy red onions), The JD (complete with Tennessee whisky glaze and MJ cheese), and the Godfather (mushrooms and Italian cheese on a garlic sour dough bun). Vegetarians and vegans are excellently catered to here, with all the same burger choices as meat eaters, swapping the meat for Moving Mountains vegan patties, facon and other plant-based ingredients.
Fupburger, Harleston
Launched in July 2019 at Latitude festival, Fupburger’s success as a pop-up at pubs exploded during lockdown, when the gourmet burgers and sides were offered as a takeaway option from locations in Harleston and Norwich. Made from 35-day dry aged beef and packed with quality ingredients including pancetta bacon, American cheese, pickled onions and a secret burger sauce, customers can choose from one, two, three or four stacked patties. There is also a fried chicken burger (the Dirty Clucker), The Veganic Smutburger for non-meat eaters, plus some epic sides (Baron Bigod mac‘n’cheese anyone?). Fupburger is currently operating takeaway from the Dog House in Norwich and The Cap in Harleston.
Gonzo’s, Norwich
Gonzo’s is an eclectic tearoom in Norwich that serves coffee, cocktails, and boasts ‘the best damn burgers in town’. Their menu features a quirky selection of excellently named burgers including the Alan Partridge-inspired Alpha Papa, a 100% Angus beef burger with all the fixings, the Dirty Gurty, a beef burger topped with peanut butter and jelly, sriracha hot sauce and bacon; as well as the Quackie Chan, a duck burger with sesame and cucumber slaw. There are a few vegetarian/vegan options, as well as a selection of ‘the biggest damn burgers in town’ which are double stacked and generously stuffed with a variety of downright delicious meats, sauces and extras.
Jojo’s, Lowestoft
This family-run kitchen and bar does American grub with a British twist. Using local butchers and artisan bakers to source all their produce, everything has as short a journey from field to fork as possible. Focusing on ribs, sharing platters and of course, burgers, the menu includes a selection of 6oz steak, chicken and halloumi burgers. Our picks include the Pig Mac (8-hour slow cooked Kansas city-style pulled pork, swiss cheese and house apple slaw), the Ring of Fire (crispy bacon,
MJ cheese, jalapenos, lettuce, tomato, red onion, hot sauce and Jojo’s sauce), and The Colonel (southern fried chicken breast, crispy bacon, a hash brown, MJ cheese, tomato, lettuce and chipotle ketchup).