Burgers served with cheese, lacto-fermented pickles, and salad

There’s not many foods that compare with a good burger, and healthy ones like these are worth making regularly.

Mince or ground beef is not only one of the most affordable cuts of grass-fed beef, but it’s also a good ethical choice as there is always a lot of it, when there is only so much of the premium steaks on every cow. If you’re considering buying a half or quarter of a cow, or raising your own cattle for beef, it’s a good idea to have plenty of delicious and easy mince recipes on hand.

Serves 2 adults and some small children

Burger Ingredients:
500g (1.1lb) beef mince
1 egg
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons almond flour
bacon fat, lard, or coconut oil for cooking

To Serve:
lots of lettuce or salad leaves
pickles or sauerkraut (preferably lacto-fermented – pickle recipe coming soon!)
cheese of your choice (I like to use gouda for these)
bbq sauce (I use the one from the Against All Grain book)
mayonnaise (recipe here)
optional baked vegetables, to serve on the side if you want more carbs
Method:

Remove the beef from the fridge before you begin anything else, to bring it closer to room temperature, if you have an hour to spare before cooking, feel free to leave it out in the kitchen for an hour. This will help your burgers to cook evenly.

Whisk the egg in a mixing bowl, and mix through the salt and almond flour. Add the beef mince, and mix with your hands or a spoon until everything is thoroughly combined. Take small handfuls of the burger mixture, round them and then flatten them until they are around one inch thick. Leave a thumbprint indent in the middle of the burger, this helps them to cook more evenly.

Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add the bacon fat and allow to melt and heat up for a few seconds. Add the burgers and cook for around five to ten minutes, until the bottom is dark brown in places and the sides are turning brown. Flip over and cook on the other side until dark brown.

If your beef wasn’t out of the fridge for long before you made these, keep them in a warm oven for ten minutes or more to help cook the inside of the burgers. If your meat was close to room temperature, you can just rest them at room temperature for five minutes, or serve them up right away if you wish. Resting them will make them juicer and more evenly cooked. If you’re serving these with cheese, top the burgers with cheese as soon as they’re out of the pan so that the cheese has a chance to melt.

Assemble large amounts of salad leaves on plates. Top with thin slices of cheese (I use a vegetable peeler for this), plenty of pickles, and your choice of sauces. Place the burgers on top of the salad and enjoy.

This recipe has been shared in Weekend Potluck, Friday Favourites, Full Plate Thursdays, Simple Homestead Blog Hop and Home Matters Linky Party