The Australian Burger with the Lot
A seasoned beef patty with onion, garlic and parsley, piled into a toasted roll with barbecue sauce, lettuce, cheese, canned beetroot, a pineapple ring, tomato, a fried egg, bacon and red onion.
In Australia and New Zealand, Wikipedia says, a plain hamburger usually comes with mince, tomato, lettuce, grilled onion and beetroot; add cheese, pineapple, a fried egg and bacon and it becomes a burger "with the lot". The traditional version has no mayonnaise, and these burgers are usually sold at fish and chip shops and milk bars, the corner shops that sold milkshakes and canned goods. Wikipedia adds that Australians don't consider burgers sandwiches, and that an Australian patty served on its own is a rissole.
Why beetroot is unsettled. Food writers point to Greek-run milk bars that stocked plenty of canned produce, to the opening of Australian canneries and a postwar surplus of shelf-stable food, or to a story about pranking American servicemen during World War II; none of it is documented (The Takeout, citing an Australian food writer:). To an American, beetroot and pineapple on a burger look like a mistake. To an Australian, a burger without beetroot looks unfinished.
Why it works the kitchen science
A bound, seasoned patty
The egg and breadcrumbs make a softer, rissole-style patty that holds together under a tower of toppings.
Sweet against salty
Earthy, sweet beetroot and tangy pineapple cut through the bacon, egg and cheese, the same job a pickle does on an American burger.
Step by step
- Step 1
Mix the beef, breadcrumbs, onion, garlic, parsley and egg in a bowl and season. Shape 4 even patties slightly wider than the rolls, set them on a tray, cover and refrigerate 15 minutes, until firm.
- Step 2
Heat a barbecue hotplate or a large griddle pan over medium heat and oil it lightly. Cook the bacon 5 to 6 minutes, turning, until crisp; set aside.
- Step 3
Cook the patties 4 to 5 minutes per side, until browned and the center reads 160°F. Lay a slice of cheese on each for the last minute.
- Step 4
Meanwhile, fry the eggs on the oiled hotplate or in a skillet over medium heat 3 to 4 minutes, until the whites are completely set (cover for 1 to 2 minutes more if you want firm yolks). Warm the pineapple rings on the hotplate 1 minute per side.
- Step 5
Toast the rolls cut side down, about 1 minute. Spread the bottoms with barbecue sauce and stack: lettuce, patty with cheese, beetroot, pineapple, tomato, bacon, egg and red onion.
- Step 6
Close with the top roll, press down gently and serve with plenty of napkins.
The Australian Burger with the Lot
Serves 4 · 4 burgers · 45 min total
Patties
- 1 lb 2 oz (500 g) ground beef (80% lean)
- 1/3 cup fresh breadcrumbs
- 1 small brown onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- Salt and black pepper
The lot
- 4 slices bacon
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 4 large eggs
- 4 hamburger rolls, halved and toasted
- 1/3 cup barbecue sauce
- 2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
- 4 slices cheddar (tasty cheese)
- 4 large slices canned beetroot, well drained
- 4 canned pineapple rings, well drained
- 2 tomatoes, thinly sliced
- 1 red onion, thinly sliced
Method
- Mix the beef, breadcrumbs, onion, garlic, parsley and egg in a bowl and season. Shape 4 even patties slightly wider than the rolls, set them on a tray, cover and refrigerate 15 minutes, until firm.
- Heat a barbecue hotplate or a large griddle pan over medium heat and oil it lightly. Cook the bacon 5 to 6 minutes, turning, until crisp; set aside.
- Cook the patties 4 to 5 minutes per side, until browned and the center reads 160°F. Lay a slice of cheese on each for the last minute.
- Meanwhile, fry the eggs on the oiled hotplate or in a skillet over medium heat 3 to 4 minutes, until the whites are completely set (cover for 1 to 2 minutes more if you want firm yolks). Warm the pineapple rings on the hotplate 1 minute per side.
- Toast the rolls cut side down, about 1 minute. Spread the bottoms with barbecue sauce and stack: lettuce, patty with cheese, beetroot, pineapple, tomato, bacon, egg and red onion.
- Close with the top roll, press down gently and serve with plenty of napkins.
Adapted from "Aussie burger with the lot", Australian Women's Weekly Food (womensweeklyfood.com.au, December 30, 2014), serves 4. The patty (500 g mince, 1/3 cup fresh breadcrumbs, onion, 2 garlic cloves, parsley and an egg), the 15-minute chill, the oiled barbecue plate on medium and the stack order are the recipe's. It has no bacon; we add 4 slices because Wikipedia's definition of "the lot" includes it. The Women's Weekly gives 3 to 5 minutes a side "until cooked through"; the 160°F check and the egg timings are ours. womensweeklyfood.com.au. Ingredient list follows the source; the method is in our own words.
Tips
- Drain the beetroot on paper towels; its juice stains everything pink.
- Many Australians want a runny yolk; cook the egg your way, but set the white fully.
- Grilled or caramelized onion instead of raw is also common in Wikipedia's description of the plain burger.
The rules people argue about
What the sources agree on, what they don't, and what is just a good story.
- Beetroot is non-negotiable. Folklore: a strongly held Australian view (The Takeout); Wikipedia says beetroot is "usually" on the plain burger.
- Beetroot came from a joke on American troops. Folklore: repeated, undocumented.
- Beetroot came from cheap canned produce in milk bars. Disputed: a common explanation in food writing (The Takeout; search summaries) with no documentary source.
- No mayonnaise. Documented as the traditional version (Wikipedia).
- A burger is a sandwich. Disputed: in Australia, Wikipedia says, it isn't.
- Bacon is part of "the lot". Documented in Wikipedia's definition; the Women's Weekly recipe leaves it out.
Every other burger
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The Smash Burger
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The Wisconsin Butter Burger
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