Aussie Burgers

[Truman]

Anyone ever read James Clavell’s King Rat? His poor, Aussie characters imprisoned at the Changi POW camp spent their days dreaming of steaks topped by fried eggs. I always thought this food pairing to be a bit odd until I read this recipe and decided it must be a cultural thing.

This burger is certainly not for the faint-of-heart or for those watching their cholesterol or caloric intake, but it’s perfect for a Saturday evening pig-out and one of the best damn burgers I’ve ever eaten. Enjoy!

Aussies

• 1½-2 pounds ground beef, preferably 85% ground sirloin, formed into four patties
• Salt & pepper , to taste
• 1 large sweet onion, sliced ½ inch thick
• 4 fresh pineapple rings, cored and sliced ½ inch thick
• 4 large eggs
• 4 slices Canadian bacon
• 4 slices of your favorite cheese (Swiss, pepper jack, sharp- or chipotle cheddar are great!)
• Sliced beets, fresh-canned if you can find ‘em
• Sliced dill pickles
• 4 slices of home-grown tomato
• Leaf lettuce or romaine leaves
• Siracha hot chili sauce (optional)
• mayonnaise (optional)
• Mustard and ketchup, if you must
• 4 onion-roll hamburger buns

Directions

1. Fire the grill.
2. When the coals are ready, lightly oil the grilling surface, and brush both sides of the onion and pineapple rings with olive oil. Grill 2-4 minutes on each side, until the onion and pineapple rings are caramelized and nicely brown. Remove to a warm platter.
3. Grill seasoned sirloin patties 5 minutes per side, or to preferred doneness. Remove to a warm platter.
4. Meanwhile, melt butter in a large skillet and fry the eggs over medium heat. Cook until the yolks are solid, turning over once. Remove eggs, and set aside. Place the Canadian bacon in the same skillet, and fry until toasted. Remove with eggs to a warm platter
5.To Assemble sandwiches: Set bottom of onion bun on a plate, and top with lettuce, burger, a slice of cheese, a slice of Canadian bacon, one fried egg, grilled onions, a few slices of beets and pickles, a slice of grilled pineapple, a slice of tomato. Dress the top bun with Siracha sauce mixed with mayonnaise, or ketchup and mustard as desired. Place over the burger. Repeat with remaining burgers.

[Dr_Phibes]

Steak and eggs is a classic Sunday breakfast.
I spent a lot of time in Spain and Portugal and had trouble getting a hamburger that didn't have a fried egg on top, to the point of having to spell it out. It seemed to baffle people that you wouldn't want it.

[mvscal]

Anyone ever read James Clavell’s King Rat? His poor, Aussie characters imprisoned at the Changi POW camp spent their days dreaming of steaks topped by fried eggs. I always thought this food pairing to be a bit odd

Where have you been? What's so odd about steak and eggs? The burger sounds interesting...without the pineapple or beets.

[Dinsdale]

Since I was a young'un, if I go into any local tavern and order the big-daddy-top-dog burger, you pretty much described it, less the beets and sometimes pineapple.

Good thing, since if someone put beets on my burger, I'd have to kill them.

But seriously -- I'm shocked to hear that isn't standard-issue tavern shit everywhere.

And steak and eggs is on every breakfast menu of every restaurant I've ever been to.

[Mikey]

One of the restaurants in town here serves up an awesome prime rib on Thursday through Saturday nights. One of the specials on their Sunday brunch menu is often prime rib eggs benedict, I assume when they have leftover pr from Saturday night. A very tasty combo but, again, not too light on the fat and cholesterol.

[missjo]

Pickles are NOT an Australian Burger Item
& we don't have hot sauce, mayo or mustard on them either
our condiments of choice for burgers is Tomato or Barbecue sauce
& Beetroot on burgers is just gross though a lot of my fellow Aussies find it delicious
But otherwise you've posted a basic burger with the lot!

[mvscal]

our condiments of choice for burgers is Tomato or Barbecue sauce

...and semen.

[Truman]

Steak and eggs is one thing...

Eggs ON steak is another. Just found it to be an odd pairing - for dinner.

As for the Siracha and mayo... It was a suggestion made by the mag (Gourmet) from which I first saw the recipe. Like anything else, an Internet search for Aussies will return about a million ways to build 'em. Regardless, those fat fuckers make good eats!

[Goober McTuber]

Pickles are NOT an Australian Burger Item
& we don't have hot sauce, mayo or mustard on them either
our condiments of choice for burgers is Tomato or Barbecue sauce
& Beetroot on burgers is just gross though a lot of my fellow Aussies find it delicious
But otherwise you've posted a basic burger with the lot!

missjo,

Just curious if you have an authentic recipe for meat pies. I used to have those as a kid when we lived out that way. There's got to be some kind of spice in it that I have never been able to put my finger on.

[Dinsdale]

missjo,

Just curious if you have an authentic recipe for meat pies.

Ask an Englishman, not an Aussie.

Remember -- Dinsdale grew up in a very English household.

Meat pie was frequent fare.

And I miss it.

My folks used to be friends with a guy who imported packaged meat pies, and made awesome sausage rolls, and always had the best bangers. But I think that dude retired... he isn't at Saturday Market anymore, at least.

[indyfrisco]

missjo,

Just curious if you have an authentic recipe for meat pies. I used to have those as a kid when we lived out that way. There's got to be some kind of spice in it that I have never been able to put my finger on.

Hmm...meat pie...special sauce/spice...missjo....

I see where this is going.

[Goober McTuber]

missjo,

Just curious if you have an authentic recipe for meat pies.

Ask an Englishman, not an Aussie.

Remember -- Dinsdale grew up in a very English household.

Meat pie was frequent fare.

And I miss it.

My folks used to be friends with a guy who imported packaged meat pies, and made awesome sausage rolls, and always had the best bangers. But I think that dude retired... he isn't at Saturday Market anymore, at least.

OK, fork over the recipe. But just for the record I spent 6 years in New Guinea, which was then a protectorate of Australia. The meat pies there (made by Aussies) were outstanding and I’d settle for that recipe any day.

[Dinsdale]

I wish I had Mom's recipe, although the small prepackaged ones we'd get were very good.

Meat pie is da'bomb... just don't put kidney in it, or we're fighting.

[Goober McTuber]

So I ask an Englishman and he sends me to the Banquet section in the frozen foods? I’ve never found any prepackaged meat pie that came close to what the Aussies make. FAIL.

[Dinsdale]

Oh goodness, no.

The ones we used to get were fairly small/single serving. Might have had a Union Jack on the package (cellophane).

Can't remember the brand name to save my life -- but the local dude used to import them directly from the supplier in England, and I never saw them anywhere else.