Ingredients
* 600g pork mince
* 400g veal mince
* 2 cloves garlic, peeled, minced
* 2 eschalots, finely diced
* 2 Tbsp tomato paste
* 2 eggs
* ½ cup fresh breadcrumbs
* ½ bunch thyme, leaves finely chopped
* 2 rashers rindless middle bacon, diced
* 1 Tbsp green olive tapenade
* Salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper, to season
* Vegetable oil cooking spray
* 4 thick slices Gruyère
* 8 slices prosciutto
* 4 ciabatta rolls, halved
* 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
* 1 cup shredded red coral lettuce
* 2 ripe tomatoes, sliced
* 1 carrot, grated
* 2 Tbsp aioli
* 4 cornichons, halved
* Bagel chips, to serve
Method
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Put pork, veal, garlic, eschalot, tomato paste, eggs, breadcrumbs, thyme, bacon and tapenade in a large bowl. Stir, then knead for 4 minutes or until smooth and sticky. Season with salt and pepper. Using your hands, form mixture into four 3cm-thick patties.
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Heat a barbecue grill to medium. Spray patties on each side with oil. Add patties to grill and cook, turning occasionally, for 12 minutes or until just cooked. Put a cheese slice on each patty and cook until melted. Set aside.
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Add prosciutto to grill and cook for 5 minutes or until crisp. Meanwhile, add rolls to grill, inside face down, and cook briefly until golden.
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Spread mustard on each roll base, then arrange lettuce, tomato and carrot. Top each with a patty, 2 slices prosciutto, aioli and cornichon. Add roll top. Serve with bagel chips on the side.
TIPS:
- A blend of pork and veal mince is the best combo for burgers: pork for texture and veal for taste. If veal mince is not available, use premium-quality beef mince instead.
- Although eggs help hold burger patties together, they’re not a one-man band. Kneading the mince mixture before forming also helps the patties to stick together.
- Eschalots (also known as French shallots) give a delicate onion flavour that doesn’t overpower the taste of the mince. If they aren’t available, use red onions rather than an acidic white or brown variety.