Classic American Hamburger

Last night, I needed some soul food so I made a classic American burger and fries for dinner. I provide the recipe here because my Laotian and Ghanian colleagues, who joined me for dinner, had never made burgers from scratch and wanted the recipe, much to my amazement.

Then also made for my farewell party over a wood fire grill. Kabul - 23 May 2013.
 

For the patties:

1½ pounds (½ kilo) of good quality lean ground beef

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

½ small onion, chopped very fine (optional)

1 egg

½ cup dry white bread crumbs

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Hamburger buns (if available)

• Put the top 6 ingredients into a large bowl and mix them together. I usually use a fork to mix the egg and bread crumbs into the meat. 
•  Then, I use my hands to knead the meat and form it into patties. 
• I prefer to make the patties thin and fairly small – from this amount of meat, I can make 5-6 patties. Other people like larger patties. It is a question of taste. 
• If you have a charcoal grill, that is the best way to cook the burgers. If not, second best is to grill them in the oven under a hot grill, turning once. If neither of these options is available, make them in a frying pan with a little oil so they don’t stick to the pan (but as little as possible). How long you cook them depends on whether you like your burgers rare, medium or well cooked. I prefer them well cooked – nice and brown and crispy on the outside. 
• Meanwhile, toast your hamburger buns. (If not available, serve on toast.) 
• Put lots of condiments on the table for people to dress to their taste. 

Condiments:

Red onion, sliced thinly

Tomatoes, sliced

Mustard

Relish

Ketchup

Mayonnaise (for Europeans, no North American eats mayonnaise with their burger)

And whatever else you fancy: sliced cucumber, pickled hot jalapeno, dill pickle or sweet red peppers, etc.

Serve accompanied by French fries – hot and crispy – salted and with vinegar on the side. (See separate recipe)