When I texted a couple of these photos to my foodie friend Danny, he had two words, and both were in block capitals: JESUS CHRIST! And hes not even religious. He and I spend an unhealthy amount of time in pursuit of the prefect burger and regularly share our explorations, be they in the kitchen or out and about.
Danny Boy: The quest is over. This is it. The best, the juiciest, the dirtiest, the most extraordinarily outstanding piece of meat I have ever held in my hands!
The source: Turner & George Butchers Showcase Burger Box (I wrote about them recently as my wife bought me a voucher for Christmas).
The breed: Dexter (with added bone marrow for flavour).
The bun: Demi-Brioche from Marcus Miller.
The rub: Barts Smokehouse Steak Rub.
The price: 10 for 4 amazingly good value.
The accompaniments: Caramelised onions, aged blue-vein Cheddar (sourced from local farmers market), English tomatoes, Frenchs American mustard, Hellmans mayonnaise, Heinz tomato ketchup, sliced gherkin, Charlotte potato salad, baby spinach leaves.
The cooking method:
1. Ensure the burgers are at room temperature. (Remove from the fridge at least 2 hours before cooking.)
2. Crush your seasoning together with a little oil and rub the burgers all over. Get your pan smoking hot and pre-heat the grill.
3. Stick your burgers on! Leave for a couple of mins to get a good colour then turn. Keep turning regularly to avoid burning.
Cook for:
180g burgers:
Medium 6-8 minutes
Medium Well 8-10 minutes
5. Transfer burgers to a roasting tray and put the cheese on top. Blast under the grill for about a minute until the cheese starts to melt. At the same time, lightly toast your buns.
6. Build your burger whichever way you prefer. I like mine with caramelised red onions, Hellmans mayo and Frenchs American mustard; my wife likes a slice of firm tomato, plus ketchup.
The result: There is a scene in Blade Runner in which Rutger Hauers replicant Roy Batty launches into a soliloquy after his missions to far-distance planets. He says: œIve¦ seen things you people wouldnt believe¦ Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched c-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhäuser Gate. All those¦ moments¦ will be lost in time, like¦ tears¦ in¦ rain. Time¦ to die¦
Thats how I feel about this Dexter burger.
Or as my lovely wife put it, in block capitals: GET A LIFE!
