The main driving force behind DA MALAT is recreating restaurant quality food at home. This has two huge advantages -

 

1    it's far cheaper than eating out

 

2    You're able to ensure the family get the restaurant taste they like but from fresh, home cooked food that contains only good quality ingredients and nothing else

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Preaching to the kids that a salad is far better for them than a takeaway burger is like talking to a brick wall. However, giving them that takeaway burger fresh at the dinner table that you've made yourself, will get you serious street cred.

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American Hamburger Seasoning is taken from a Hamburg, New York recipe which became popular in fast food outlets and Diners across the USA (hence the term Hamburger and not Beefburger). This seasoning mix along with the recipe below will produce restaurant quality Hamburgers with all the taste of the fast food outlets but without the added ingredients that make fast food burgers so unpopular with parents.

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American Hamburgers

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500g ground/ minced beef, not lean beef (20% fat content is perfect)

2 x tbsp DA MALAT American Hamburger Seasoning

1 x tsp DA MALAT American Hamburger Seasoning (to season the burgers while cooking)

Cling film/ Food Wrap

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Method

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Chill the ground beef in the fridge for at least 2 hours, preferably in the bowl you will be using for mixing. Take the chilled beef from the fridge and mix in 2 x tbsp DA MALAT American Hamburger Seasoning. Divide into 4 equal portions (125g each).

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Place a piece of cling film on the work surface and then a portion of the meat mixture in the centre. Loosely gather the cling film up around the meat to create a parcel. Push down on the meat mixture, flattening to the required thickness. Using the cling film will stop the burger from splitting at the edge, producing a more professional shape. Place each formed burger on a baking sheet and cover with a piece of cling film.

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Place the burgers in the fridge to chill once more before cooking on a skillet, frying pan or BBQ. Sprinkle the burger with a little of the American Hamburger Mix while cooking. Do not overcook as the burger will become dry.

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Serve on a toasted burger bun together with thin fries seasoned with DA MALAT American Diner Spice Mix.

 

All American Bacon Cheeseburger

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This recipe is best done with a food processor

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500g mince beef

half a medium onion, finely chopped

2 x slices white bread, crust removed

1 x medium egg, beaten

1 x tbsp DA MALAT American Diner Spice Mix

Pich salt & pepper to taste

4 x slices mature cheddar cheese

salad to garnish

4 x large burger buns, sliced and toasted

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Method

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Blend the slices of bread in a food processor to make fine breadcrumbs. In a large bowl, mix the mince beef, finely chopped onion, breadcrumbs, beaten egg, salt & pepper and DA MALAT's American Diner Spice Mix by hand. Divide the meat mixture in two and place half in the food processor. Blend until the meat mixture resembles sausage meat. Repeat with the second half of the meat mixture then bring both portions together.

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Divide the blended meat mixture into four equal parts. flatten each portion of meat mixture into a burger shape and fry in a little vegetable oil, in a lightly oiled griddle pan or on the BBQ, turning once half way through cooking. A couple of minutes before the burgers are cooked, place a cheddar cheese slice on each and allow the cheese to melt on top of the burger.

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Serve in the toasted burger bun and top with fresh salad if using. A skewer can be used to hold the bun together. If serving with fries, shake with American Diner Spice Mix before serving.