Gourmet pork burger with beetroot relish

Madalene Bonvini-Hamil
and Ross Pike, British Larder,
Bromeswell, Suffolk

A really classy burger, full of flavour and good things! It’s worth the extra effort to make the beetroot relish – it complementsthe burger beautifully.

Preparation time: 40 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients
...for the pork burgers...

450g Freedom Food labelled minced pork
1 onion, peeled
1 carrot, peeled
1 stick of celery, washed
1 large gherkin (optional)
1 tbsp capers, finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
salt to taste
freshly cracked black pepper to taste
1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
1 Freedom Food labelled whole egg
50g fresh breadcrumbs
2 sprigs of parsley, chopped

...for the beetroot and red onion relish

150g red onions, peeled and sliced
150g raw beetroot, peeled and coarsely grated
1 clove garlic, minced
½ tsp dried chilli flakes
15g unsalted butter
Maldon sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
50g dark brown sugar
50g malt vinegar
1 sprig of thyme, leaves only

Method
...for the pork burgers...

1. Use a coarse hand grater to grate the onion, carrot, celery and gherkin.
2. In a large mixing bowl, mix all the ingredients along with the salt and pepper. Mix well, either with your hands, or if you have a mixer use the dough hook attachment to knead the mixture well. (I prefer to use a mechanical form of mixing for burgers as it tightens the meat and prevents it from falling apart when cooking.)
3. At this stage you can test a small amount of the mixture by frying it in a hot pan and then tasting it and adjusting the seasoning if necessary.
4. Divide the mixture into 4 even weight patties (approximately 175g each). Shape the burgers by compressing each patty. You can use a pastry cutter to help with the shape if you like. Let the burgers rest in the fridge for at least 20 minutes.
5. Cook the burgers for 5–6 minutes on each side in a hot frying pan with a splash of oil.
6. Serve the burger on a bun with a spoonful of the beetroot relish, slices of tomato and salad leaves. Garnish with home made onion rings and chips of your choice.

...for the beetroot and red onion relish

1. Heat a medium saucepan with the butter and sweat the onions, garlic, chilli flakes and beetroot on a low heat, with seasoning, until it starts to caramelise. This should take about 10–15 minutes.
2. Add the sugar and cook until dissolved. Deglaze with the vinegar and cook for a further 20 minutes over a low heat, stirring occasionally.
3. Then stir in the chopped thyme, taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Transfer the relish into sterilised jars and keep refrigerated until needed. The longer you let the relish mature, the better the flavour. However you can use it straight away as it’s just as delicious.

Recipe from the Freedom Food Celebrity Recipe Collection 2011.