Open Faced Barbeque Sauced Burgers

Every Friday night for the whole of my childhood my mom served hot dogs for supper.   She made fabulous hot dogs.   We loved them.   She had a waffle iron/grill which she never ever used for waffles.  It only ever got used for hotdogs.  She would split the weiners and fold them open like a book.   The buttered buns got grilled first, next the frankfurters . . . until they were golden brown and crisp on the edges.  Soooo good.    Everyone we knew clambered to be invited to our house for Hot Dog Night!!



You always knew what day of the week it was by what my mother was cooking for our tea.   Friday's hotdogs, Saturdays baked beans, Sunday was a roast or some sort or steak, Monday leftovers from Sunday, and so it went on through the week . . .  until hotdog night rolled around again.

 

I hate, Hate, HATED burger night!  Yuck.  My mom could not cook burgers.   She always bought really cheap mince and so they were full of gristle and even sometimes bits of bone.  If any of that touched my teeth that was it, I was gagging.   She also over-cooked them, so that they were more like hocky pucks than burgers and they were largely unflavoured.  Sorry mom, but it's true.  Your burgers were blah . . . (it's ok, you can't be good at everything!)



It was years before I could go near a burger with anything closely resembling anticipation  and positivity!   Happily I can do them now . . . but with a few rules in place.  Never cheap mince.  Only good quality meat is used.  Hereford beef is great.  Always with a bit of something added for flavouring.  Never over-cooked.



Burgers don't have to be boring and dull.  They can actually be quite exciting.   I can promise you nobody will be turning their noses up at these tasty bun enhancers!   Meaty, moist, stogged full of cheese, onion and garlic . . . delightfully barbeque sauced and serves up on crisp buttery garlic toast.   What's not to like about that???   This be knife and fork food, family and man pleasing to the hilt.

*Open Faced Barbeque Sauced Burgers*

Serves 6

Printable Recipe     

With a pack of lean ground beef and just a few store cupboard ingredients you can have a tasty meal that will have your family licking their chops in no time at all.  These are knife and fork burgers. Once you have all of the components sorted they go together very quickly.
I serve these with some salad and oven chips for a complete meal. 

For the Burgers:
1 medium onion, peeled and grated

2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 tsp dried thyme leaves

180g of cheddar cheese, grated (1 1/2 cups), divided

(If you want a bit of spice you can use some pepper jack)

1 1/2 pounds lean steak mince 

For the sauce:

1 cup of tomato ketchup

1/2 cup water

1 heaped TBS of dark soft light brown sugar

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp brown sauce (steak sauce)

1/2 tsp hot English Mustard

1 TBS cider vinegar   

For the garlic Toast:

6 thick slices of white bread, cut into ovals

(Use the trimmings to feed the birds or make into bread crumbs and freeze)

4 TBS softened butter

1 clove of garlic, peeled and minced

1 tsp dried parsley flakes

2 TBS parmesan cheese

freshly ground black pepper 

Mix together all of the burger ingredients reserving 60g of cheese (1/2 cup) for later on.   Shape into 6 oval shaped flat patties.   Set aside.  Whisk together all of the sauce ingredients.   Set aside.  Cream together the butter, garlic, parsley flakes, cheese and pepper for the toast.  Set aside. 

Heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Spray with a bit of non stick cooking spray and add your meat patties.   Cook over medium heat for about 5 to 6 minutes per side, browning them nicely until they are as done as you prefer them.   Remove and keep warm.   Pour the sauce ingredients into tha pan.  Bring to the boil and cook, stirring for several minutes, or until it thickens somewhat.  Return the meat patties to the pan, turning them to coat them in the sauce.   Cook, turning occasionally, while you make the garlic toast. 

Heat the grill.   Spread each piece of bread on one side with the garlic butter.   Toast buttered side up under the grill until golden, flip over and toast until golden on the other side.   Keep warm.  

Sprinkle the sauced patties with the remainder of the cheese.  Let it melt.   Place one toast round, garlic butter side up on each of six plates.   Top with a bit of sauce and a sauced pattie, keeping the cheese intact.   Serve immediately.