Blue cheese burgers without the buns
- Holly Bell - Recipes From a Normal Mum
- Jun 7, 2015
- 2 min read
Somehow removing the buns makes these burgers seem less of a junk food treat and more of a midweek supper. I’m not sure why. Perhaps it’s the necessity to use a knife and fork with the bun removed? Of course you could serve them in a bun, it matters not. Use any cheese you like for the centres, it’s just that for me, blue cheese and beef are a perfect match. Add a glass of red wine and this would be fit for a last supper.
The bread in the burger mixture binds it all together and helps to stop the cheese from seeping out but you can leave it out, just use another half an egg if you do.
INGREDIENTS
250g good-quality steak mince
1 large egg
1/2 slice white bread, broken into 1 cm pieces
ground black pepper
40g blue cheese
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
METHOD
You need a very hot pan to fry these burgers. You can also use a grill but I find the heat easier to achieve with a pan, plus there’s the added bonus of being able to squash the burgers down with a spatula to achieve that chargrilled appearance.
Preheat the oven to 190°C. Place the mince in a large bowl and add the egg, bread and season well with pepper. Roll your sleeves up and use clean hands to squish the meat until the pepper, egg and bread are well distributed. Take half the mince mixture and roll into a ball. Split the cheese in half and fashion half the cheese into a square shape about 4 x 4 cm. Squash the cheese into the middle of the burger, then shape the meat around the cheese, squashing as you go to ensure there is a good seal. It’s not the end of the world if the cheese escapes during frying, but it does somewhat ruin the surprise.
Heat the oil in a frying pan over a high heat and, once the pan is very hot, slip the burgers into it. Use a spatula to push the burgers down gently and when they are looking chargrilled on the bottom, about 3–4 minutes, flip the burgers over and repeat on the other side for the same amount of time. Finish off in the oven until the burgers are cooked through, about 10 minutes for well done, 5 minutes for medium rare, then serve with a watercress salad or, if you’re feeling devilish, a side of faux chips and a bun. Ketchup, mustard and mayonnaise are all optional.
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