An institution at many pubs, restaurants, and cafés in Australia, Australian burger with the lot first made its appearance in the 1940s, when beetroot started to be added to the burger alongside onions, tomatoes, lettuce, and meat.
The inclusion of canned beetroot on a burger was possible due to the fact that there were two canneries that opened during the 1930s and the 1940s. Today, there is still a heated debate about the inclusion of beetroot – some say it is obligatory, while the others claim it’s a travesty.
Australian Burger
Course: MainCuisine: AustralianDifficulty: Medium4
servings45
minutes30
minutes593
kcal1
hour15
minutesAn institution at many pubs, restaurants, and cafés in Australia, Australian burger with the lot first made its appearance in the 1940s, when beetroot started to be added to the burger alongside onions, tomatoes, lettuce, and meat.
The inclusion of canned beetroot on a burger was possible due to the fact that there were two canneries that opened during the 1930s and the 1940s. Today, there is still a heated debate about the inclusion of beetroot – some say it is obligatory, while the others claim it’s a travesty.
Ingredients
500 g | 1lb extra lean beef mince (*See Notes)
2 cloves garlic , crushed
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup | 80ml of your favourite beer/lager
salt and pepper to season
4 medium eggs
4 shortcut bacon pieces , fat removed
1/2 onion , thinly sliced
4 slices pineapple canned in natural juice
Handful of rocket/arugula (or lettuce)
8 slices beetroot
4 slices cheese of choice (I use fat-free Cheddar)
1 tomato , sliced and divided
4 medium bread rolls of choice , halved
Tomato sauce
Mayonnaise (optional)
Directions
- Combine meat together with the garlic, sauce and lager. Mix well with your hands for about a minute, until the meat has combined with the other ingredients. Divide meat mixture into 4 parts and firmly mould them into round patties about 1-inch thick.
- Heat a grill pan/skillet on medium-high heat. Sear hamburgers on both sides until golden and cooked to your liking.
- While the burgers are frying, fry the onion and bacon in a separate pan, until the onion is transparent and fragrant and the bacon is crispy on both sides.
- Transfer bacon and onion onto a paper towel; wipe pan over; add a drizzle of oil and fry the eggs until cooked to your liking.
- When the burger patties are done, transfer them onto a warmed plate; wipe pan over with a paper towel; and fry the pineapple rings (about 1 minute each side until caramelised).
- Build your burgers! Layer the base of each bun with the lettuce/arugula, beetroot slices, burger patties, cheese, pineapple rings, bacon, onion rings, tomato slices and the fried egg. Drizzle with tomato sauce and (optional) mayonnaise; top with remaining bun piece and serve!
