The Burger Bar

Courtesy of Tyler Florence from Tyler's Ultimate

• BURGERS

• 2 lbs beef brisket, ground
• kosher salt
• fresh ground black pepper
• 4 slices swiss cheese (thin slices)
• 4 hamburger buns, split (or other type of bun)

• SAUTEED MUSHROOMS

• 1 lb thickly sliced mushroom
• ¹⁄₄ cup olive oil
• 2 sliced garlic cloves
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leave
• lemon juice (2 squeezes)

• CARAMELIZED ONIONS

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 onions, cut into 1/2-inch slices
• salt and pepper, to taste

• TOMATOES WITH SEA SALT AND CHIVES

• 2 lbs red and yellow beefsteak tomatoes
• olive oil (drizzle)
• sea salt
• ³⁄₄ cup chopped fresh chives

• BACON AND ROSEMARY

• ¹⁄₂ lb sliced bacon
• 1 sprig rosemary (strip the leaves)
• cracked black pepper

• HERBED HORSERADISH MAYONNAISE

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
• ¹⁄₄ cup freshly minced herbs (parsley, basil, chives or scallion)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• salt
• freshly cracked pepper
• 1 lemon, juice of

To  Make:

CARAMELIZED ONIONS:.
Heat butter and olive oil in a large pan over medium heat.
Add onion slices, sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Cook slowly until well caramelized, 15 to 20 minutes.

HERBED HORSERADISH MAYONNAISE:.
Stir together mayonnaise, horseradish, minced herbs, olive oil, a squeeze of lemon juice, salt and pepper.

SAUTEED MUSHROOMS:.
Saute mushrooms in olive oil with sliced garlic and thyme leaves over super-high heat until nicely browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in a couple of drops of fresh lemon juice.

BACON WITH ROSEMARY:.
Lay the sliced bacon on baking sheet, strip leaves from the sprig of rosemary and throw them on top of the bacon with lots of black pepper and roast at 400ºF till bacon is crisp, 10 minutes.

TOMATOES WITH SEA SALT AND CHIVES:.
Slice tomatoes, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with sea salt and chopped chives.

ASSEMBLE THE BURGERS:.
Preheat a large cast-iron skillet to medium hot.

Blot a small amount of oil on paper towel and CAREFULLY and quickly wipe the hot skillet to make a non-stick surface.

Season the ground meat in a bowl with salt and pepper.

Give it 3 turns in the bowl with your hands or a big spoon and it's done.

Shape into 4 patties.

When the skillet is hot, put the burgers on the skillet and cook 4 minutes on the first side and 5 on the second side for rare; 7 minutes per side for medium, adding the cheese during the final minute or two, to melt.

Remove the burgers to a platter.

Rub the skillet with paper towel to clean it again.

Then toast the buns cut side down for 1 minutes.

Serve the hamburgers in the buns with accompaniments above.
Enjoy!

Slow-Dried Tomatoes

8 ripe, firm, Plum tomatoes, cut in half horizontally

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 tbsp thyme leaves, picked fresh

½ tsp caster sugar

60ml olive oil

Coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

To Make:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200 °C or Gas 6. Place the tomatoes on a baking tray, cut side up. Scatter over. then rub on. the garlic, thyme leaves, sugar, salt and pepper.

2. Drizzle the olive oil over the spiced tomatoes.

3. Place in the oven to bake until very soft and shrivelled. Leave to cool.

4. These keep in olive oil for 1 week in the refrigerator.