*contains no Kiwi’s
SERVES: 4
PREP TIME:10 mins
COOKING TIME: 20 mins
DIFFICULTY: easy
IDEAL FOR: anytime!
BUDGET: £
Nothing beats a legendary Kiwiburger.
There really isn’t a better burger combo.
I may be a little bias as a Kiwi and clinging on to some childhood nostalgia.
But my (English) family seem to be pretty pleased when I whip up a Kiwiburger.
So, what’s in it?
Almost everything!
But definitely no actual Kiwi bird… that would be weird and very wrong.
In a nutshell (and sometimes they vary a smidge), in between a lightly toasted bun, we have a…
- juicy beef patty
- fried egg
- beetroot
- tomato
- lettuce
- cheese
- onions
- (Watties) tomato sauce – Watties is the Heinz of NZ… but better 😉
Oh, and a lot of us either add or switch out the egg for a pineapple ring which is my fave.
You may think… WTF??
Beetroot in a burger? Egg in a burger?? Pineapple??
Yes. And it will change your life.
These days burgers are all a bit fancy, a bit gourmet.
Much like the Scotch egg (see my previous post), the mighty burger went a but luxury.
And you’d find blue cheese or halloumi between brioche buns with a gourmet sauce.
This is not a Kiwiburger.
The Kiwiburger, is a burger that provides comfort and guaranteed happiness.
It’s about stopping on the way home from a great day out at the beach.
You stop at a little fish and chip shop and order a burger to take-way.
Presented in a cheap paper bag and smelling divine.
No fuss.
But hunger-busting goodness.
Kiwiana
The mighty Kiwiburger is considered Kiwiana.
Anything that is a bit quirky (not to us) and we identify being a Kiwi with, is Kiwiana.
Some good examples are…
The Pavlova
Controversial to some, not to Kiwis.
We invented it.
Those pesky Aussies try and claim it but the proof is in this magnificent pudding.
It was invented as a tribute to the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova, who toured New Zealand and Australia in 1926.
This giant meringue is laden with whipped cream and topped with amazing berries and KIWIfruit.
Need I continue??… no.
No 8 Wire
We’re pretty well-known for our Kiwi ingenuity and inventiveness.
And the No. 8 wire (used for fencing) became iconic many years ago for being put to use to fix many things.
L & P
L & P stands for Lemon and Paeroa.
It’s ‘World famous in New Zealand’
The best fizzy drink to have alongside your Kiwiburger or fish and chips.
Jandals
Our name for flip-flops.
Why do the Aussies call them ‘thongs’??
That’s a peek into a few things Kiwiana.
The Kiwiburger sits firmly in there.
Give it a go
So, I thought I’d share this Kiwi delight.
Don’t be afraid, it works.
What’s your favourite burger? Leave a comment, below…
Ultimate burger… the Kiwiburger
Ingredients
- 500 g quality beef mince
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tbsp tomato sauce
- 4 burger buns
- 4 slices of cheddar cheese
- 2 sliced tomatoes
- 1 lettuce or lettuce leaves
- 1 sliced beetroot (canned)
- 2 onions
- 4 fried eggs (optional – I switch this out for pineapple rings)
- 4 *pineapple rings *as above
- tomato sauce
Instructions
- Put the mince in a bowl. Add a splash of Worcestershire sauce, celery salt, and ground pepper and mix everything with your hands and divide into 4 equal portions.
- Flatten each portion into a patty.
- Turn the oven to 200C/fan 180C (so you can pop the cooked ones in there while you do each patty if your frying pan can't do all at once).Heat a non-stick frying pan on high heat.Fry the patties for 2 minutes each side.When you have done them all, top each with a slice of cheese and put in the oven for 2-3 minutes until the cheese melts.In the meantime, in the same pan, fry your onion until caramelised – a few minutes then set aside.Now, fry your eggs in the pan and get ready to build your burgers when donw.
- Now build the burger!Put some tomato sauce on each bun base. Add the patty with melted cheese. Then add lettuce, a slice of tomato, sliced beetroot, onions, your fried egg (or pineapple ring).Serve to a very happy person!
I’m linking this to CookBlogShare