I was looking at some news from last week when I read the details again about Damon Buffini, the millionaire chairman of private equity firm Permira. It was reported that he gave partners in his firm a dressing down and ordered them to eat burgers – after one of them complained about the standard of food at a five star hotel. It appears that Mr Buffini thought that eating burgers was a punishment.
This 5 star hotel charges £1,000 a night for a suite and has a Michelin star restaurant. Some of the partners at his firm have earned tens of millions of pounds during the boom years and sound like they gorge themselves on gourmet food and wine, probably making them fat in the process !
It amuses me that Mr Buffini thought that by giving them burgers he would be upsetting them. Burgers, in my opinion, can be delicious. I am not referring to the McDonald style of burgers but proper beef burgers made with high quality beef and with the correct amount of seasoning and spices. So, for all you people out there who don’t think that a burger can make a good meal here is my favourite recipe –
You can’t beat a homemade beef burger with home made oven chips. Here is the recipe. Trust me …. this makes a wonderful burger.
2 pounds good quality minced beef
2 medium red or white onions, finely chopped
2 eggs
1 to 2 handfuls fresh bread crumbs
1 tablespoon coriander seeds, crushed
1 small pinch cumin seeds, crushed
1 heaped teaspoon Dijon mustard
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Mix all the ingredients together. Use the bread crumbs as required to bind and lighten the mixture. Divide into 4, then gently and lightly mold and pack into burger shapes. Place in the oven and roast for 25 minutes, which should leave the middle slightly pink and the outside nice and crispy. Serve with a griddled bun, a little salad, some gherkins, tomato salsa,and a bottle of Ketchup. Add the cheese if cheeseburger is required. Fantastic !
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