Handcrafted beef burger with burger relish in a spelt brioche bun

For the topping

Wash the aubergines and cut them lengthwise into approx. 4 mm thick slices. Gently toast on the Tepan stainless steel grill, preheated to 220 degrees. Place the slices on a tray, sprinkle on a little pyramid salt and lightly drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Wash and clean the lettuce heart then separate the leaves. Set aside.

For the buns

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Place the milk, butter and sugar in a pan and heat to a maximum of 37 degrees. Mix half of the flour with the salt and yeast, then knead with the milk butter for about 15 minutes to form a dough. Beat the egg and add about half to the dough. Knead in the remaining flour and divide the dough into 120 g portions. Leave in a warm place to prove for about 20–30 minutes. Once proved, coat the buns with a little of the remaining egg and sprinkle on the sesame seeds. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes.

For the burger relish

Allow all the ingredients to come to room temperature. Use a blender to mix together the mustard and egg yolks. Gradually add a third of the oil until it has combined with the egg to form a smooth cream. Pour in the remaining oil in a single stream, stirring continuously, until a thicker mayonnaise has formed. Grate the gherkins. Gradually add the remaining ingredients, stirring continuously, and fold in the grated gherkins. Season the relish with salt and white pepper.

For the patties

Season the beef with a little salt and pepper and shape into 2 cm thick patties with a diameter of 10–12 cm. Create a small well in the centre of each patty to prevent them from swelling when cooking.

Preheat the back half of the Tepan grill to 200 degrees and thinly drizzle with groundnut oil. Quickly sear the burger patties on both sides. Set the front half of the Tepan stainless steel grill to 150 degrees. Slide the patties across onto it, place a slice of cheese on each and leave to rest until cooked to your taste (ideally medium). The cheese should melt as the patties cook. If you like, add a splash of water next to each patty on the Tepan stainless steel grill and place a domed lid over the top: this makes the cheese melt particularly well.

Finishing touches

To serve, cut open the spelt brioche buns and lightly toast at 180 degrees on the clean, dry Tepan grill. Spread the burger relish onto both the top and bottom halves of the buns. Place the romaine lettuce leaves on the bottom bun halves followed by the patties with the melted cheese and 1 grilled aubergine slice. Cover with the top bun halves – finished!

EXPERTISE FROM THE MEAT SOMMELIER

A true burger is made of very few ingredients: the best beef, not too lean – a fat content of about 20–25 % provides great taste, aroma and succulence, e.g. beef neck – salt and pepper. The freshness and quality of the meat are key. This should ideally be purchased from a trustworthy butcher.