I love hamburgers but it annoys me that they are considered unhealthy. When I think about the ingredients that are involved in a hamburger it is simply meat, tomato, lettuce, cheese, onion, and some bread? So why are they so unhealthy. The reason is simple when you get down to it. Burgers are usually covered in a variety of sauces, remove the sauces and you are one step closer to a healthy burger. Some people consider bread to be very unhealthy and if you like you can cut that out and replace it with a lettuce leaf. I think a little bread is ok but that is should be in moderation, I’ll keep the bread for a great bun. Finally, the meat is the key ingredient that is really unhealthy. Read on for how we solve that little problem.
Meat used in most burgers is a low-quality high fat patty. This is what gives a great patty its juicy flavors. Combine that with the way it is cooked and you are guaranteed one unhealthy burger. However, using lean meat usually produces dry tasteless burgers. When the decision is between eating unhealthy and delicious or healthy and boring, most people will eventually stray back to unhealthy. It doesn’t have to be like that. You can cook lean burgers and ensure they are delicious too.
The key is all in how you cook it and by including a few extra ingredients you can transform that healthy burger. Start by buying the right burger, aim for something with 90% lean ground beef. Often in supermarkets, they will highlight the healthy mince so it should not be hard to find. If it is not in your supermarket then your nearest butcher will have it. Put your mince into a mixing bowl and mix with salt, pepper and ground garlic. To really make the flavors come from this meat, my secret ingredient (that is not so secret anymore) is to include Worcestershire sauce. Worcestershire sauce is a fermented liquid condiment and despite its ugly color it really takes a burger to the next level.
Mix all of these ingredients in a bowl and set to one side. Next, you must get your pan ready. In general, when making burgers you don’t need oil, the burgers are already so fatty that they will produce liquid themselves. However, with lean burgers that is not the case. You must add some oil to allow them to cook at a slow pace without burning. Many people favor their burgers medium or medium-rare, we agree, but with lean mince to get a good flavor you should really cook them all the way through.
Before frying cover both sides in salt and pepper. Fry each side for around four minutes, it may take longer if you have made the burgers a little thicker, but by slicing through a patty you will quickly see how well done they are. When finished leave the burgers to cool on a plate while covered in tin foil for around five minutes. This will give them ample time for the juice to run through the patties and deliver even more flavor.
For too long we have decided that certain meals are healthy and certain meals are unhealthy. We need to reexamine the meals we have deemed bad for us and simply ask is there a healthy way to make this delicious meal a reality. The idea that an unhealthy meal is tastier is nonsense. The same is true for an unhealthy meal being quicker or easier to make. The truth is that you can have easy and fast meals that are incredibly delicious and very healthy too. As Marie Antoniette would say, have your burger and eat it too.
