Aussie burger with the lot

Name: Aussie burger with the lot
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Modern Australian
Ingredients: 400g plant-based mince, or cheap beef mince; salt and pepper, to season; 1 tbsp olive oil; 4 slices tasty cheese; 4 thick rashers of bacon, halved; 2 slices tinned pineapple; 1 whole cooked small beetroot, sliced, or 4 slices tinned beetroot; 4 eggs; 1½ cups shredded iceberg lettuce; 1 avocado, sliced; ½ small red onion, thinly sliced into rings; 1 roma tomato, thinly sliced into rounds; ¼ cup barbecue sauce, to serve; ¼ cup mayonnaise, to serve

Adam Liaw

February 15, 2019

When building the perfect burger with the lot, it's all about the thickness of the layers.Dominic Lorrimer

The challenge with any jam-packed Aussie burger is to keep it compact enough to allow it to be eaten without having all the fillings drop out. The secret to success is to have everything very thin, from making thin patties to halving the pineapple rings horizontally. The joy is in the layers.

Ingredients

400g plant-based mince, or cheap beef mince
salt and pepper, to season
1 tbsp olive oil
4 slices tasty cheese
4 thick rashers of bacon, halved
2 slices tinned pineapple
1 whole cooked small beetroot, sliced, or 4 slices tinned beetroot
4 eggs
1½ cups shredded iceberg lettuce
1 avocado, sliced
½ small red onion, thinly sliced into rings
1 roma tomato, thinly sliced into rounds
¼ cup barbecue sauce, to serve
¼ cup mayonnaise, to serve

Method

Step 1
Divide the mince into four equal portions, season with the salt and pepper and roll them into balls without pressing them together too much. Squash the balls and mould them into four thin patties about 1cm in diameter larger your burger buns (they will shrink as they cook). Chill the patties in the fridge for at least 10 minutes.
Step 2
Slice the pineapple in half horizontally to create thin rings. Place the pineapple and beetroot onto a piece of absorbent paper to remove excess moisture.
Step 3
Heat a large frying pan or hotplate over medium heat and add the olive oil. Fry the pineapple rings for a minute on each side until browned, then remove from the pan. Add the bacon and fry until cooked and browned, remove it from the pan, then add the patties and fry for about 3 minutes on one side, flip them over and add a slice of cheese to the top. Cook for a further 2 minutes until the patty is cooked through and the cheese melted. Cut the buns in half and place them, cut-side down, directly onto the frying pan or hotplate for about 2 minutes until toasted. Fry the eggs over low-medium heat for about 4 minutes until the white of the egg is set, but the yolk still runny.
Step 4
Spread a little mayonnaise onto the base of the bun. Add the lettuce, then place the cheese-covered patty on top. Add the bacon, pineapple, beetroot, tomato and egg, then add your barbecue sauce and secure the top of the bun with a skewer. Serve immediately.