![\"Perfect](\"https:\/\/www.jameswhelanbutchers.com\/info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Perfect-burger.jpg\" "\\"Perfect")
<\/a>The Perfect Burger<\/p><\/div>\n
While inviting friends and family around for the big weekend outdoor cooking extravaganza requires plenty of advance prep, for most of us it\u2019s just about having something easy and different at the end of a long day.\u00a0 Barbecuing can be kept simple and understated and is a great way to cook on the long summer evenings regardless of whether you plan to eat indoors or outdoors.\u00a0 If you plan in advance and prepare the food early, the evening meal can be really simple.<\/p>\n
Aside from steaks, it\u2019s hard to imagine a barbecue without burgers but I\u2019m trying to encourage everyone to make their own.\u00a0 Once you try some of the homemade variety, grilled evenly over the hot coals, then you\u2019ll never go back.\u00a0 With a homemade burger you are getting much more flavour, there\u2019s no strange additives or preservatives and you know exactly what has gone into the mix.\u00a0 It\u2019s the only way to control the salt and fat content.\u00a0 Processed burgers deserve the bad press they get but the home made variety can sit proudly in a healthy, balanced diet and made correctly they can be very tasty.<\/p>\n
When we think of burgers it\u2019s more than likely that the steak variety will spring to mind.\u00a0 Burgers, like meatballs, have plenty of variations.\u00a0 You can use so many different kinds of meat from red meat to poultry and even fish. You can keep them mild and meaty or spice them up with Cajun flavours.\u00a0 \u00a0The added extras also add to the overall experience.\u00a0 While the simplicity of a few rings of onion and a slice of cheese is always delicious, burger recipes these days can include marinades, spices, herbs and plenty of other extras.\u00a0 And naturally the bun, while traditional, is not obligatory.<\/p>\n
<\/a>James Whelan Butchers homemade burgers<\/p><\/div>\n
Burgers transcend age.\u00a0 Adults and children alike are happy to tuck into a decent burger.\u00a0 If you have kids in the house home made burgers are fantastic because you can make them bigger or smaller according to the size of your child\u2019s hand, so ultimately they are less messy.\u00a0 It is also a dish that can be customized and personalized with ease.\u00a0 I have friends who include things like chopped garlic and peppers while others have been known to grate a little parmesan into the mix.\u00a0 A recent recipe I found suggested using oyster sauce instead of salt, while some puritans wouldn\u2019t dream of doing anything except using excellent quality mince, finely chopped onion and some seasoning. \u00a0Many won\u2019t go past the traditional burger bun while others like experimenting with baps, ciabatta bread, pitta pockets or even soft floury blaas.<\/p>\n
There are some rules however, that should be obeyed.\u00a0 Never compromise on the quality of meat you are using, particularly mince meat, always buy the best you can afford.\u00a0 Be conscious of the thickness of your burger; if it\u2019s overly thick it will be overcooked on the outside and undercooked on the inside.\u00a0 Burgers should have a consistency throughout; rare, medium or well done, but not all together.\u00a0 Whatever your recipe, I find that it\u2019s good to make a batch of burgers and leave them in the fridge for about 30 minutes to an hour before cooking.\u00a0\u00a0 Once cooked, burgers should be treated like any other piece of meat and left to rest for about five minutes.<\/p>\n
We all like to get a little \u2018chefy\u2019 now and then and build towers of food to impress people when serving.\u00a0 The burger is perfect for this because it stacks rather well.\u00a0 Rather than dress it, I like to lay out all the condiments, accompaniments and even salad leaves and just serve a simple undressed burger on a bun bed, leaving it to the individual to create the taste and textures they want.\u00a0 Slices of cheese, crunchy onion rings, softly fried onion rings, crisp lettuce, warm bacon, scrambled eggs, chutneys and sauces \u2013 the list is endless and it\u2019s all about imagination.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s always prudent to get a good basic burger recipe and then change it up as you see fit.\u00a0 On the other hand you could always pop into James Whelan Butchers where we do a range of burgers ready to cook.\u00a0 They have all the hallmarks of homemade burgers and they are made to our traditional and specific recipe.\u00a0 What you\u2019ll find is that they will cook well on a barbecue, retain their moistness and they won\u2019t crumble or loose their shape.<\/p>\n
If you do love to barbecue then don\u2019t forget the Tipperary BBQ Idol running in conjunction with Tipp Fm and Dunnes Stores in the Oakville Shopping Centre.\u00a0 Check it out on Facebook or visit www.jameswhelanbutchers.com<\/a> to find out more.<\/p>\n We hope you enjoyed reading this post by Pat Whelan of James Whelan Butchers. Pat is a 5th generation butcher, cook book author and the director of \u00a0James Whelan Butchers with shops in Clonmel, the Avoca Handweavers Rathcoole and Kilmacanogue, Dunnes Stores Cornelscourt, Rathmines and Swords in Dublin.\u00a0Sign up to our newsletter for more updates from James Whelan Butchers<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" There\u2019s nothing better in the summer than eating outdoors.\u00a0 If you\u2019re a fan of barbecuing then any excuse will have you outside wielding those long tongs and smoking up the air.\u00a0\u00a0 While we\u2019re all about Barbecuing at James Whelan Butchers at present because of the \u2018Tipperary BBQ Idol\u2019 competition that\u2019s ongoing for the month of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[25],"tags":[36,739,738,138,737,57,145,48,454,47,16,52,728],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n