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| Hawksmoor at Home cookbook |
Restaurant cookbooks can be hit and miss. With a few notable exceptions (Moro, Ottolenghi) they tend to be full of high-end foamy show-off grub that no one with a full-time job and an average-sized kitchen is going to cook. Hawksmoor at Home is absolutely not one of those cookbooks. This fantastic book should, in the words of Mr H.Blumenthal: "be covered in fingerprints and splashes of food. It's a great hands-on book to use every day."
The first cookbook from the beloved London steak restaurants is a collaborative effort between owners (and self-confessed 'beef geeks') Will Beckett and Huw Gott, head chef Richard Turner, and Will's mum, food and drink writer Fiona Beckett.
The result is a book packed with achievable recipes, a wealth of practical knowledge and lots of wonderfully nerdy British and London food history. You'll learn how to make the perfect steak, the juiciest burgers and classic cocktails. Dan Lepard's photography and the whimsical illustrations, historic posters and essays make this the most stylish and informative cookbook I've seen in ages. Even better - all the proceeds are going to Action Against Hunger. What nice chaps those beef geeks are!
Pinch of Salt has three copies of Hawksmoor at Home (£25; Preface) to give away, courtesy of Preface. To enter, just leave a comment in the comments section below before Friday 28th October telling me what makes YOUR perfect burger...
** This competition has now closed. The winners will be announced on Pinch of Salt shortly **
Posts
35 comments:
For me a burger is not just about good quality meat (which is important) but it's all about the extras; the condiments, salad, pickles, sides...
I love my burgers loaded with everything. Ideally; bacon, cheese, mustard, ketchup, pickles, lettuce. Fries and onion rings on the side...*drool*
Oooh what a fab competition!
I do love a good burger. I did a post on this a while back, had some quite conflicting comments left too!
It's quite controversial isn't it, one's perfect burger!
I am able to enjoy both sides of the debate - the pure beef patty and what I call the recipe patty (which may have onion or egg or bread or beer or any number of other ingredients added). Two different beasts but both good.
The quality of the meat is important and one shouldn't assume that inferior will do because it's "just" a burger.
I have have have to have pickled gherkins, and don't be stingy either. But I don't need tomato (as I'll get that kick from my condiments). Lettuce just gets in the way. I am fond of raw onion, preferably red.
I prefer a common-as-much blend of ketchup and mayo, the cheap Marie Rose, over a posh salsa or relish.
And I want a bun that's soft but doesn't disintegrate. Ciabatta has NO PLACE AROUND A PATTY OF MEAT!!!
Burger: good meat, a little fatty, liberally seasoned (but not too much). Grilled to form a crust, medium rare inside.
Toppings: Little white onion, slow cooked mushrooms, top with a neutral binding cheese, be it swiss or American. Garnish with thin slices of sweet dill pickle.
Sauce: Frenchs yellow and Heinz Ketchup
Bun: Brioche (but not one that will fall apart)
I'm hungry all of a sudden.
Kavey - It is quite hilariously controversial isn't it! My opinions on the subject will have to remain silent for the duration of this contest!
The quality of meat & the fat ratio has to be the starting point. You can have the best dressing & bun in the world but if the meats bad you are stuffed. The same applies if it's over cooked, a burger should be medium rare.
I adore the The Meatwagon's Dead Hippy Sauce, it's a stroke of gherkin based genius.
My perfect hamburger:
The patty should be made with coarsely ground/chopped chuck, hung for about four weeks. At room temperature, it should be shaped into a loose ball, seasoned generously all over, then pressed down onto a stinking hot flat cast iron griddle and weighted down for optimum char. The patty should be cooked until dark and crusty outside, medium rare within. It should be rested for a few minutes.
The bun should be a buttered and toasted (or steamed) Martin's potato roll.
Additions: thinly sliced white onions, crinkle cut pickles, finely shredded iceberg lettuce, French's mustard, a little ketchup, jalapenos fried in butter.
The cheese should be a Kraft Single, steamed onto the patty using a cloche.
Sounds like some guys really know their burgers. I like mine from well aged chuck - coarsely minced and with not too much fat but still enough to keep it moist - too much and it it wont render properly in the quick cooking time. Highly seasoned - don't be scared of the salt. The dough for the bun should be brioche style - enriched with a little egg and sugar, glazed on the top and soft. For me I like it rare with a mild cheese with a good stringy melt, some crunchy pickles and perhaps a rasher of smoked dry cure bacon. Lettuce I can take or leave - it's just a bit too healthy for everything else going on. The overall impression should be sloppy and hard to eat - you want to be able to suck the juice out of the thing. All this writing has made me want one NOW!
Top quality beef mince, brioche bun, steamed gooey cheese, ketchup, onions and lettuce....I really want one now! I'm very partial to a lamb burger to, yum!
My perfect burger was made by my 6 year old daughter. She whacked some mince into shape, cooked it (under Mum's supervision) on a dead hot skillet and then added a bit of salt and condiments at the end - in a simple burger bun.
It came to me as a surprise, and on my birthday. My favourite, and best, burger ever.
Finely chop an onion.
Mix the cooled fried onion with 800g of quality steak (mince).
Season to taste.
This mince mix should make 4 burgers.
Grill the pates under a hot grill for around 3-4 minutes on each side.
I would serve in a toasted (optional) burger bun with fresh cut tomato, lettuce and bacon & Cheese (optional). Serve with Ketchup / mustard / Mayo. yum!
For the burger:The grain of the beef and the cut of the beef are so important. I like a combination like the shoulder and some chuck and maybe some short rib so there is enough fat content to keep it moist. Then you dont want to grind it too finely you need it still quite chunky so it retains a good bite.
A brioche-y style bun that fluffy in the middle but can absorb all of those lovely burger juices but not fall apart in your hand!!
for me you have to have pickles in some shape or form in there!! either in a big mac style vinegary ketchup mayo shallot pickle combo or just a straight sliced pickle.
Now the cooking!! flame grilled everytime no questions
And cooked to perfection Ie/medium to medium rare
Yummy!! need to book a table at the hawskmoor now!!
Meaty but not dry, a bit of fat in the meat is always good, and pink in the middle.
never, ever, under any circumstances should gherkins be involved. or any sort of tomato ketchup.
controversial i know.
Ooh. Glad I didn't miss this. Don't think it's controversial at all. The best burger for me is all about time and place rather that best meat etc. If it's a frozen birds eye pattie as long as it's served with live and the company of good friends then I don't care!... saying that, my homemade cheese inside mushroom burgers are damn good!
As long as you don't put cheese on it without asking me first...what is with this current fad for ramming Kraft singles onto my food without my consent?
If you want to eat it, fine, but personally I loathe melted cheese. I'm also putting you on notice if there aren't gherkins. Offer me the option, again do not make the choice for me.
Not too lean, not too fat, not too cooked. Soft bun. Condiments on the side please. Just big enough to wonder how you might get all in your gob at once. Lots of napkins for the meat juices running down your wrists. That'll do nicely.
The beauty of a great burger, for me, is simplicity & quality. I prefer to make them myself (ground chuck steak, seasoning, pinch of smoked paprika) then cook them on a ludicrously hot barbecue (lots of coal-wafting) as close to the heat as possible so they cook fast. I like a simple white bun (sesame on top is good), toasted on the barbecue briefly, mustard and mayo on the bottom half, ketchup on the top. I like to eat around three burger (gotta make a meal of all that faffing) ideally with Russian salad on the side and juicy modern Bordeaux wine.
Damn, I'm hungry now.
Viewed from the bottom: Golden bun, yellow mustard, pink beef, blue cheese, green lettuce, red onion, white mayo, golden bun.
Viewed from the side: Lots of home made fries.
I think my taste is a lot simpler than most of the other Comment-ers.
Take some good quality meat - seasoned obviously - cook it to rare-going-medium-rare, add a slab of blue cheese and put it in a soft toasted bun which holds together even if I get too excited and start waving it around!
Et voila!
Smoked streaky bacon from Pinney's of Orford adds a wonderful edge.. my all time favourite bacon! ( http://www.butleyorfordoysterage.co.uk/catalogue/index )
Other extras compulsory too (pickles especially)
I like mine made with good beef, preferably grass fed beef. Well seasoned on a brioche bun, that won't fall apart.
Cooked on a grill with a nice char but still medium rare inside. Served with a bit of pickle and hot English mustard.
Perfected with a side of triple cooked crispy fries.
Keep it simple.
My ideal burger is large, yet humbly attired. It shuns the blue cheeses and posh salsas in favour of a slice of emmental, and if feeling extravagant, some bacon. Its allure resides in the high quality of its richly flavoured meat. It should always be medium rare, and its juices should always be allowed to drip down my chin.
My perfect burger is one that someone else has slved over hot coals to cook for me!
If I MUST schlep it myself, I fall into the pure beef category, preferably aged and minced myself. Seasoned well with S&P and a hint of garlic salt for oomph.
Grilled rare/medium rare, served bunless (on a no-carb diet at the moment), and topped with beer braised onions, tomatoes ripe off the vine, baby gem lettuce and slices of Golden Circle Sliced Beetroot that I get sent over by my wonderful mother from Oz (UK beetroot is great for many things, but its not pickled quite right for a good Aussie burger!)
For me it's all all about:
- Cheese - the more luminous and melted the better. I'm talking nuclear. Think In and Out Burger.
- Meat - Juicy, meaty, on the raw side of medium rare. Bung in some bone marrow for extra unctuous..ness. Think Spuntino beef and bone marrow slider
- Bun - unseeded, slightly shiny, slightly sweet. Soak up those joices. Think Honest Burgers.
And keep it simple! Not a fan of messing around with novelty pineapple and basil.
Heading to Hawksmoor Guildhall on Friday so all my benchmarks could change...
Michael
Medium rare. Fibres that pull away with the minimum of effort yet feel substantial in the mouth. Bun slightly sweet, yielding but with a hint of crackle.
I can do without extras like cheese and bacon, but a thin spreading of ketchup and Dijon mustard help kick things along nicely.
My friends at Byron help me on that one xx
I was never really a burger girl until I had the Honest Burger at Honest Burgers in Brixton Village Market.
Perfectly medium rare, juicy patties that clung together with a crispy caramelised crust that melted in the mouth, a sweet, soft bun, crispy bacon and mature cheddar cheese with crunchy gherkins to finish it off.
I've never had a burger since and occasionally find myself daydreaming about it and salivating.
Delicious!
Actually, #meatwagon does! :) As much as I like a good burger I never make it myself. But if i'm out and about.. great quality meat and some gherkins are a must. Yum yum!!!
Cheap, acrid, yellow American mustard makes a burger. Any burger.
It has to be ground chuck steak (possibly with a little extra fat thrown in for good measure). "Lean Burger" is just (oxy)moronic. Well seasoned with salt & pepper but no other flavours. A burger should taste of meat.
Searing hot grill until medium rare. The bun needs to be slightly sweet. I like a brioche bun toasted on the inside.
Mustard. Ketchup. Pickle.
Most importantly, if you are able to eat it without covering yours hands in juice, you are doing it wrong.
I would go with Knave's suggestion but would have tomato relish instead of ketchup.
Love this blog BTW!
SORRY, but Im a veggie burger man.... must be spicy, lots of cheese, lots of salad, fesh and hot, nice buns... any other takers? you meat heads!! love the blog.... follow me too @markboltonphoto
First off, its got to be bloody massive. Meaty and juicy, it should be a danger to the cleanliness of all my clothes. The roll and all within it should be the same diameter. Nothing is more frustrating than an errant piece of lettuce sliding out as you clamp your jaws round the burger.
A gherkin (not sweet) is a must. Make it two. Two gherkins. And what?
The Bun is a subject of much debate among burger maniacs, but I'm no expert. In the words of Rick James I like them big and I like them round.
It should be consumed with friends and copious amounts of beer.
Last night I was watching a taped run of Australian Masterchef and Heston Blumenthal 's burger and chips was the dish the contestants had to make. Not just a plain ol'burger - of course! Seeing them tuck in to the one he made and the aaaah's and oooooh's and the facial expressions they had on - sheer delight, surprise, greedy wanting more. I was taken aback and it got me thinking. A good burger still needs love in preparation, it should be fun and bring back memories of happy times. The 4 types of meat he put in might be a tad "de trop" for most of us, but at least he has passion and they just sounded so amazing along with all the trimmings that came with it, all lovingly prepared. That's my burger - I need to find that recipe!!!!
Love the blog BTW :)
Mexican burger. Lashings of avocado, chilli beans, corn and loads of jalapenos jammed between a sourdough bun. YUM!
I actually hadn't eaten a burger for 10 years when I moved to London last year. And then I had one from #meatwagon. What a comeback! A burger feast has now become a weekly necessity.
I prefer my burgers simple - medium-rare quality meat (preferably grilled) + cheese that is not too overpowering (the one place where the over-processed American variety works well) + thinly sliced onions + mustard + ketchup. In a brioche bun. Done. Lettuce & bacon are optional.
Believe me guys/girls, ignore all the "perfect" burgers you've had before and check out the Hawksmoor recipe (which IS the, more or less officially, best burger in England). Quite pared down, but perfectly done patty with the right bread bun too (a demi-brioche). Longhorn beef is bloody hard to beat, and the bone marrow adds extra richness and texture.
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