Welcome to the first edition of MK Test Kitchen – where we try out some of our iconic local or international chef ’s and foodies’ recipes, and share our personal opinions (foodies and non-foodies alike).
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Fast-food frenzy
Strone Henry, co-owner of Cape Town-based Side Wing, and now head chef at the popular Chef ’s Restaurant in Cavendish, proves he knows more than just a thing or two when it comes to packing flavour into our fave fast-food titbits.
Strone’s double smashed burger with crispy onions and pickled jalapeño
Serves 2
You can add spices like ground cumin, coriander or paprika to the beef patty for extra flavour.
Ingredients
2 onions, sliced
Corn flour, for dusting
Cake flour, for dusting
Oil, for frying
500g beef mince
Salt and milled pepper
Handful fresh coriander, chopped
1 cup grated mature Cheddar
Burger mayo, for serving
2-3 pickled jalapeño’s, sliced
2 sesame seed burger buns
Method
- Lay sliced onions in cold water for 15 minutes to soak.
- Remove onions from water and dust in a mixture of corn flour and cake flour.
- Deep-fry for 2-3 minutes or until golden. Season with salt.
- Place the mince into a bowl, season well and add coriander. Toss to combine well.
- Divide the mince into 4 heaps, making sure not to handle the meat too much. Lightly form each heap into a ball.
- Place a cast iron skillet over a medium-high heat and add oil.
- Place your 4 balls of mince onto the skillet and flatten slightly with a metal spatula to create “smash” patties. Season well.
- Flip the patties over once slightly charred and season the other side.
- Cook for about 2-3 min.
- Divide cheese between each patty and cook for another minute until the cheese has melted. Remove from the heat.
- Spread burger mayo onto the base of your bun, top with patty, jalapeño, another patty and crispy onions. Serve immediately.
Trendsetter
Sam Linsell, renowned food writer, stylist and 2023 Digital Content Creator Galliova award winner is a powerhouse when it comes to curating recipes that not only pack punch and flavour, but are simple and easy to make. Her take on a boerie burger was something we simply had to test out!
Sam’s boerewors, feta and peppadew burger
Since the boerewors is already seasoned to perfection, this is the ultimate cheat code!
Serves 2
Ingredients
300g boerewors
Oil, for frying
4 rashers streaky bacon
2 sesame seed burger buns, grilled and toasted
3 Tbsp mayonnaise
Lettuce, for serving
1 tomato, sliced
1 red onion, sliced
1 avocado, sliced
4 peppadews, sliced
Method
- Remove the meat from sausage casings and shape into two thick burger patties.
- Heat oil in a large pan and fry patties for 3-4 minutes per side or until golden and cooked through. Remove.
- In the same pan, fry the bacon for about 4-6 minutes or until the bacon is crisp to your liking.
- Spread mayo onto the bottom half of each bun, top with lettuce, tomato, burger patty, bacon, red onion, avocado and sliced peppadews, then serve.
Braai king
Jan Scannell, aka Jan Braai, is actually a chartered accountant turned foodie. To most of us, he is well-known for the being the founder and driving force behind SA’s hugely successful and popular National Braai Day on the 24th September (Heritage Day), which brings the nation together through cooking outdoors on the coals.
Jan Braai’s smash cheeseburger
Serves 2
Cooking the patties over medium-hot coals will add a hint of smokiness to this dish.
Ingredients
For the sauce
½ cup mayonnaise
2 Tbsp tomato sauce
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 gherkin, chopped
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp paprika
½ tsp cayenne pepper
500g beef mince
Salt and milled pepper
2 soft hamburger buns, halved and toasted
Method
- Whisk together (or blitz) sauce ingredients until smooth. Set aside.
- Divide mince into 4 heaps, taking care not to handle the meat too much. Lightly form each heap into a ball.
- Place a cast iron skillet over a medium-high heat and add oil.
- Place your 4 balls of mince onto the skillet and flatten slightly with a metal spatula to create the “smash” patties. Season well.
- Flip the patties over once they’re slightly charred and season the other side.
- Cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Divide some cheese between each patty and cook for another minute until cheese has melted. Remove from the heat.
- Spread some of the burger sauce onto the base of each bun and top with one patty each. 9. Drizzle with remaining sauce and top with another patty each. Close with the burger bun lid and serve immediately.
Cook’s note
The less you handle or touch the meat, the better. The more you shape it, the more dense it becomes. Instead, what you want to achieve is loose grounds with lots of air pockets in the mince. This way, the juices and fat released during the cooking stays inside the pa y itself, keeping your patty super moist.
The MK judging panel
Zhann Solomons
Head of Photography
“Love the crispy onion addition and the combination with the jalapeño on Strone’s burger.”
Christi Nortier
Features Editor
“Jan braai’s sauce is seriously impressive since it’s home-made, but I feel like the burger needs something extra. Sam’s burger has the freshest flavours, and the boerewors patty is such a nice touch but the size is a bit daunting. However, Strone’s burger is my favourite – it’s something I would go back to again and again.”
Geraldine Amoko
Senior Copy Editor
“Third place goes to Strone, while in second place we have Jan with his fantastic sauce that 100% makes this burger, so you can’t help but want to take that second bite! In first place is Sam’s boerie burger aka The Finisher: colour, crunch, sweet, salty and sour – it served me everything that I could ever need in a burger.”
James Cameron
Assistant Photographer
“My favourite has to be Sam’s boerie burger with its fresh flavours of feta, avo and peppadew. A winner in my eyes!”
Murushka Lalgith
Digital Intern
“In first place, Strone’s burger: You can’t go wrong with a crispy onion and jalapeño combo. Second place would be Jan’s burger – it’s simple but what it has is more than enough. That sauce is everything! Sam’s boerie burger is in third place for one reason only. It has all the bells and whistles, but are they needed? It feels like a distraction from the actual patty itself – I want the burger to shine and not the accompaniments.”
Words by: Chad January
Photography: Zhann Solomons, Supplied
