www.britishbarbecue.co.uk
THE ARTFUL HAMBURGER
Good Hamburgers are not made from poor quality meet as a lot of people think. Select a nice Rump stake and, if you do not mince your own, have the butcher trim and mince it for you. Sirloin, and Topside will also work well.
Use some good quality bread rolls at babs. Choose good Iceberg lettuce, fresh cress or chard. Fresh, curly mustard leaves. Grated horseradish, mustard of choice, mayonnaise, sliced tomatoes and sweet onions, with perhaps grated cheese, sliced dill pickles on the side.
When all things are prepared, the grill should be up to temperature, with the charcoal glowing and the heat so intense that you cannot hold your hand within 50mm of the grill for more than a couple of seconds. If you are cooking with gas, turn to the highest setting and keep the hood closed until ready.
Place the meat on the grill. If the temperature is right, the meat will stick to the grill. Do not touch the patties until they release them selves from the grilling surface. As soon as they release, turn them. When the second side releases, remove them and serve.
The meat should be uncharred on the outside and medium to medium well on the inside. Add the compliments of your choice, now you have a real hamburger.
HOT DOGS
As well as the traditional British Banger used for hot-dogs in the UK, there is now a good selection of good German and and other continental stile sausages in the supermarket's. But the good old British pork sausage still makes the best ones, (not strictly a hotdog sausage but they are very good), try getting fresh ones from your butcher and taste the difference, or take a look at the sausage making section on this site and make you own.
Keep the temperature lower than for normal grilling. If you drop the temperature to around 150C, have patience, have another cool beer.
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