A good burger is mostly about the beef and the sauce. Get a juicy patty and a well seasoned mayo and the rest is just assembly. This is how we make ours at Roomeys, using our mayonnaise as the base for the burger sauce and to toast the buns.
What you need (makes 4 burgers)
Patties
- 600 g beef mince, around 20 percent fat
- Salt and black pepper
- 1 tablespoon oil for the pan
Burger sauce
- 6 tablespoons Roomeys Mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons tomato ketchup
- 1 teaspoon mustard
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped pickles, plus 1 teaspoon of the pickle liquid
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 small pinch of sugar
To build
- 4 burger buns
- Roomeys Mayonnaise for the buns
- 4 slices cheese (Roomeys Pizzarella works, or a melting cheese of your choice)
- Lettuce, sliced tomato, sliced onion
Make the sauce
Mix the Roomeys Mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, chopped pickles, pickle liquid, smoked paprika and sugar in a bowl. Taste it. It should be tangy and a little sweet. Cover and put it in the fridge while you cook, the flavour settles as it sits.
Shape and cook the patties
Divide the mince into four loose balls. Do not knead it or pack it tight, that makes the patty dense. Flatten each ball to about 1.5 cm, a bit wider than your bun since it shrinks as it cooks. Press a shallow dip in the centre of each patty with your thumb so it stays flat instead of doming.
Season both sides with salt and pepper right before cooking, not earlier. Heat the oil in a heavy pan or grill over high heat until it is properly hot. Lay the patties in and leave them alone for 3 minutes to build a crust. Flip once, put a slice of cheese on top, and cook another 2 to 3 minutes for medium. Move them to a plate and let them rest for a couple of minutes.
Toast the buns
Spread a thin layer of Roomeys Mayonnaise on the cut side of each bun. Put them mayo side down in the hot pan for about a minute until golden. The mayo toasts better than butter and adds flavour.
Build
Bottom bun, a spoon of burger sauce, lettuce, the patty with its melted cheese, tomato, onion, another spoon of sauce, top bun. Press it gently so it holds together. Serve straight away while the patty is still warm.
Notes
Roomeys Mayonnaise is thick enough to hold up as a sauce base without going runny once you mix in the ketchup and pickle liquid, and it toasts cleanly on the buns. If you want a lighter burger, use the sauce and skip the cheese. If you are cooking for a crowd, make a double batch of the sauce, it keeps in the fridge for about a week.
Buying Roomeys Mayonnaise
We supply mayonnaise in bulk to restaurants, burger joints, hotels and supermarkets across Tanzania. For wholesale orders and pack sizes, get in touch with us.