Western-style burgers

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 225 ml milk
• 110 ml water
• 50 g butter
• 450 g flour
• 1 packet of dry yeast or 1/2 cube of fresh yeast
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 egg(s)
• 1 tsp salt
• 50 ml milk
• 100 g cream cheese
• 100 g processed cheese, spicy
• n. B. Processed cheese slices
• 1 chili pepper(s)
• 600 g minced beef
• n. B. Sliced ​​cheese (e.g. Gouda or a spicy variety)
• e.g. Bacon (2 slices per burger)
• 1 onion(s)
• some flour
• 2 tomatoes
• 1 gherkin(s)
• 1 kg potatoes (organic)
• some oil
• Paprika powder
• Cayenne pepper
• Salt

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Rest time approx. 1 hour; Cooking/baking time approx. 45 minutes; Total time approx. 2 hours 15 minutes

do it yourself

For the buns, heat the milk, water, and butter together until the butter melts. Mix about 1/4 of the flour with the yeast, sugar, and salt, then stir in the milk, butter, and water mixture, followed by the egg. Slowly knead in the rest of the flour until you have a smooth, soft dough. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces, shape into balls, flatten, and cover. Let rise for about 45 minutes. Sprinkle with sesame seeds to taste. Bake at 180°C (convection oven) for about 12 minutes. (There will be too many for 4 people, so I always freeze a few.) For the sauce, slowly heat the milk, cream cheese, processed cheese, and processed cheese slices while stirring until everything has dissolved and there are no more lumps. Finely chop the chilies and stir in, season with salt if desired, and chill. Form the mince into patties (about 1 cm thick slices). Slice the onion into thin rings. Dust with flour and fry in a pan with a little butter over low heat until softened, then set aside on kitchen paper. Meanwhile, slice the tomato and gherkin. Cut the buns open with a smooth-bladed knife. Heat a grill pan (or a nonstick pan with a very small amount of oil). Place the bacon in another, still cold pan and then place it on the stove and fry until crispy. If you fry the bacon in a cold pan, it won’t shrink. Place the patties in the pan and season with salt and pepper. Fry at maximum heat for about 4 minutes on each side, adding the cheese just before the end. Brush the buns once with wet hands (sounds silly, I know) or spray them with a little water and microwave them for about 10 seconds. Then spread the sauce on the top and bottom of the buns and add the toppings. Professionals start with the top, so first the fried onions, then the cucumbers, tomatoes, bacon, and then the meat, cheese-side down. Then add the bottom part and flip the whole burger. This prevents everything from falling off the tower. Potato wedges go perfectly with this. Add about 1 kg of organic potatoes, skin on, and cut into small wedges, then rinse thoroughly with hot water. Dry thoroughly on a towel (I always do this with a hairdryer). Season in a bowl with oil, paprika, and a little cayenne pepper, then bake in the oven (180°C, top and bottom heat, 30-45 mins). Only then add salt and you’re done. It sounds like a lot of work. But it’s really not that difficult, especially since everything is easy to prepare and can be done in small, easy-to-do steps. The result is all the more impressive!