Classic cheeseburger with special sauce and cheese skirt

By Anthony Murphy
From Saturday Kitchen

Ingredients

Special Sauce (makes 500ml/18fl oz)

• Mayonnaise: 230g/8oz
• American mustard: 80g/3oz
• Store-bought tomato relish: 80g/3oz
• Store-bought French dressing: 80ml/5 tbsp

Dill Pickles

• Black peppercorns: 2 tsp
• Mustard seeds: 2 tbsp
• White malt vinegar: 120ml/4fl oz
• Caster sugar: 2 tbsp
• Chilli flakes: pinch
• Salt: 2 tbsp
• Baby cucumbers, thinly sliced: 250g/9oz
• Garlic cloves, thinly sliced: 2
• Fresh dill, chopped: small bunch

To Assemble

• Bacon slices: 2
• Quality minced beef (preferably a mix of chuck and brisket): 170g/6oz
• Brioche buns, sliced in half: 2
• American cheese slices: 2
• Swiss cheese slices: 2
• Red onion, sliced: 1
• Iceberg lettuce, shredded: ¼
• Grated mild cheddar: 100g/3½oz

Method

Special Sauce

1. In a bowl, combine all the ingredients for the special sauce. Set aside.

Dill Pickles

1. In a small frying pan over medium heat, toast the black peppercorns and mustard seeds until fragrant.
2. Add 240ml (8½ fl oz) of water and white malt vinegar to the pan.
3. Stir in the caster sugar, chilli flakes, and salt until fully dissolved and the liquid begins to boil. Remove from heat.
4. In a sterilized jar, combine the sliced cucumbers, garlic, and dill. Pour the warm pickling liquid over the vegetables. Refrigerate until needed.

Bacon

1. Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the bacon slices and fry for 2–3 minutes on each side, or until the fat is golden. Remove the bacon and keep it warm.

Burger Patties

1. Divide the minced beef into two equal portions and shape them into balls.
2. In the same frying pan, place the beef balls on the hot surface. Use a spatula or burger smasher to flatten each ball into a patty. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Cook the patties for 3 minutes on each side.

Assembling the Burger

1. On the bottom half of each brioche bun, layer the following ingredients in order: special sauce, burger patties, one slice of American cheese, one slice of Swiss cheese, a tablespoon of pickles, bacon, red onion slices, and shredded lettuce.

Cheese Skirt

1. In the hot frying pan, divide the grated cheddar into two mounds. Allow the cheese to crisp and caramelize on one side, then flip the cheese disks to cook the other side.

Final Assembly

1. Top each burger with the cheese skirt and the top half of the brioche bun.