Ditching the bun doesn’t mean your burger has to be lacklustre, but it does highlight the importance of delicious fillings! Here we have paired a juicy beef patty, cheddar cheese, sweet caramelised onions, smokey BBQ sauce and gherkins – perfection!
This Week
9 Dec - 15 Dec
The Ultimate Beef and Cheese Bunnace with Homemade BBQ Sauce
- under 1 hour
- 4
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Meal Prep Guide
Make the BBQ sauce (store in a airtight jar in fridge)
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 small brown onion (super finely diced)
- 4 garlic cloves (crushed)
- 1 tsp paprika
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp chilli flakes
- 4 Tbsp tomato paste
- 2 Tbsp honey
- 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 Tbsp tamari
- 1 tsp wholegrain mustard
Method
- Add the olive oil to a small saucepan over low-medium heat. Add the onion and garlic; cook for 5 minutes or until the onions have softened.
- Add the spices and chilli flakes and cook for a couple more minutes before adding the tomato paste, honey, apple cider vinegar, tamari and mustard. Simmer for 5-7 minutes or until reduced and the consistency of a store-bought BBQ sauce. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
Tips
- Unlike other meats – mince patties, meatballs and rissoles should be cooked straight from the fridge as this ensures they stay together and juicy.
- Form patties slightly wider than your burger bun as the patty will shrink in size when they cook and release moisture.
Shortcuts
- We’ve included a recipe for our homemade BBQ sauce, as it tastes delicious but also because so many store bought options are filled with additives, preservatives and refined sugar. If you’re looking for a good store bought sauce we like the Morepork BBQ sauce or the Wild Meat BBQ sauce.
Shortcuts
Vegetables
- Add sliced tomato.
Protein
- For a vegetarian option swap beef patties for our Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burger Patties.
- Swap beef for grilled chicken thighs or breast.
Other
- After something a little more filling? Serve with a bun and add finely sliced lettuce.
- Serve with some mayonnaise or aioli.
Make your own pickled cucumber –
Ingredients
- ½ cucumber (thinly sliced)
- 1 tsp salt
- ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
Method
- To make the pickled cucumber, pop sliced cucumber into a bowl and sprinkle over salt; set aside for 10-15 minutes before rinsing and draining off the released liquid. Add the salted cucumber and apple cider vinegar into a small jar; set aside and let pickle for at least 15 minutes. Store in the fridge for up to a week.
Ingredients
BBQ sauce
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 small brown onion (super finely diced)
- 4 garlic cloves (crushed)
- 1 tsp paprika
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp chilli flakes
- 4 Tbsp tomato paste
- 2 Tbsp honey or maple syrup
- 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 Tbsp tamari
- 1 tsp wholegrain mustard
Caramelised onions
- 2 brown onions (finely sliced)
- 2 Tbsp butter
- Pinch of salt
Beef patties
- 600g beef mince
- 1 tsp dried mixed herbs
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
To serve
- 1 head iceberg lettuce (leaves carefully separated)
- 150g cheddar cheese (sliced)
- 4-6 gherkins (sliced)
Method
- Start by making the BBQ sauce. Add the olive oil to a small saucepan over low-medium heat. Add the onion and garlic; cook for 5 minutes or until the onions have softened.
- Add the spices and chilli flakes and cook for a couple more minutes before adding the tomato paste, honey or maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, tamari and mustard. Simmer for 5-7 minutes or until reduced and the consistency of a store-bought BBQ sauce. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
- Start cooking the caramelised onions so they have enough time to caramelise while you prepare everything else. Add the butter to a large pan over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add the onion and season with salt; reduce to low heat. Cook until the onions are soft and golden, around 15–20 minutes. Be sure to keep stirring every few minutes to prevent them from sticking.
- Prepare the patties by mixing the mince and herbs in a medium bowl. Form 4 patties slightly wider than your palm.
- Heat a large pan over high heat; drizzle patties with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Once the pan is hot, add the patties and cook for 3 minutes on each side or to your liking. When the patties are about 1 minute away, add the sliced cheddar on top, then pop on a lid so it can melt. (If you don’t have a lid, transfer the patties to an oven tray and grill until the cheese has melted).
- Time to assemble the burgers – make the bunnace by grabbing 2-3 lettuce cups and layer them together to create a sturdy vessel for all the fillings. To each bunnace, add one pattie, topped with the BBQ sauce, caramelised onions, and some sliced gherkins.
Variations
Vegetables
- Add sliced tomato.
Protein
- For a vegetarian option swap beef patties for our Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burger Patties.
- Swap beef for grilled chicken thighs or breast.
Other
- After something a little more filling? Serve with a bun and add finely sliced lettuce.
- Serve with some mayonnaise or aioli.
Make your own pickled cucumber –
Ingredients
- ½ cucumber (thinly sliced)
- 1 tsp salt
- ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
Method
- To make the pickled cucumber, pop sliced cucumber into a bowl and sprinkle over salt; set aside for 10-15 minutes before rinsing and draining off the released liquid. Add the salted cucumber and apple cider vinegar into a small jar; set aside and let pickle for at least 15 minutes. Store in the fridge for up to a week.
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