030 - EL GIGANTE BURGER

Okay people, especially those living in Jakarta, have you heard this entire buzz about the new burger joint called Three Buns? Words on the street says this is one of the best tasting burger right now, if not (some actually said), of all time. 

But there's a catch: despite the lovely semi outdoor setting and the great cocktail, the place had little to none parking space. And that means an instant turn-off for me. I'm not the kind of people who'd fight for a parking spot over a food that I can (possibly) whip up at home with less cost and comparable taste. Decision, decisions. Maybe I'll try that Burger joint sometime soon.

So anyway, while I wait for the hoo-hah to actually calm down, let me show you a killer Burger I whip up recently. It has 2 patties, cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickle, cheese bacon, and peanut butter. HELL YES, PEANUT BUTTER. The cream of the crop of a PB&J. It actually tasted awesome in a burger. No kidding here.

Please welcome, EL GIGANTE BURGER

Gi·gan·tes

  [ji-gan-teez] 

plural noun

huge monsters, the children of Gaea,

You will need:

1 Burger bun.

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

For the patty:

200 grams of minced beef. Here's the deal: if your butcher can freshly mince a meat to your order, do so. Get a combination of sirloin and chuck. But if you're left without an option, a regular minced beef will do the job just fine. Just get the freshest beef of the day.

1 fresh garlic, grated finely. If you can't find a grater, you can simply chop it super fine. Be careful though, cut it a lil’ bigger, not exactly the kind of experience I wanna taste on my burger.

1 tsp of Worcestershire sauce (optional, but it makes the difference!)

Herbs of your choice. Parsley worked great in this recipe. Again, this is optional.

1 tsp of Onion powder. It helps brings out the meatiness. Fucking A, Son.

For the garnish :

2 slice of Cheddar cheese. Or any kind of melting cheese will work, Cheddar is the best for this though

1.5 tbsp of Creamy Peanut Butter

Cheese bacon (I've posted this recipe before)

Romaine Lettuce. It has more crunch and more nutrients than the typical lettuce. And it looked hella better.

Ripe tomato. Sliced thinly.

Dijon Mustard

Ketchup

Please people, no Mayo.

Ready? Here we go!

Step 1 - Always ensure your meat is at room temperature before mixing. Grate your garlic, and mix it with the beef. Add the Parsley, Onion Powder, and Worcestershire, mix lightly with your hands. Warning: DO NOT overmix. Over mixing will yield a chewy Burger, and I HATE THAT. Split the most mixture in half, 100 grams each and Shape the burger into a nice concentric circles, and make a small indentation with your thumb right in the middle of the patty. This will help during the grilling process to ensure a nice and even cooking. Set it aside

Garlic

Onion Powder

Parsley

The Cream of the crop

Right after the mix

Shape, gently.

Booya!

Step 2 - Heat your non stick pan, get a nice olive oil to coat the surface just enough so the patty won't stick. Use highest heat. Before the patty goes it, season the side that would hit the pan first with salt and pepper. Once you see a smoke, throw your patty in. Get a spatula and SMASH the burger for 10 seconds. This will create the Maillard Reaction, a.k.a that lovely brown crust. Season the other side with salt and pepper, and for the love of God, DON'T FREAKING MOVE IT. Let it sear for around 1,5 minute. Once you see the edges turn brown-ish/grey, give it a flip

Burgers don't like it sticky.

Press. 

SMASH.

Season

Flip

  

Step 3 - After the flip, top both patties with cheese. Now here's the neat trick to melt the cheese: pour around 3-4 tablespoons of water to the pan, and cover it. The steam will kickstart the melting process. I mean, isn't melted cheese is one of the most fun you had while eating a burger?

Cheese on top

Steam

COWABUNGA!

Step 4 - Toast your bun. Ensure it gets warm and crisp.

Step 5 - Assemble your Burger. Here's how I do it: bottom bun, ketchup+mustard, patty, PB, cheese bacon, patty, lettuce, tomato, top bun.

Dijon Mustard

Ketchup

Patty

PB

Cheese Bacon

Patty

Romaine Lettuce

Tomato

Top Bun

Step 6 - serve.

El Gigante needed a knife to stand. It's humongous. It's ferocious. It'll destroy your stomach.

Things might get as messy as your relationship with your ex, but El Gigante fucking killed it 

In every bite, appreciate the complexity of the flavor. The saltiness of the burger patty, the savoury taste from the Peanut Butter, and the crunch of the lettuce.

Not exactly what I refer to as 'healthy', but why not?

Serve with a side of French fries fries (again, I made the recipe previously), and a whole lot of regret afterwards. But fret not, it is a good kind of regret.

Peace

xx