Recipe:Homemade Beef Burgers, with Tomato Relish

I've never made my own burgers, but my head chef Boo's burgers at work have been selling like hotcakes over the last few weeks, so I thought i'd have a go at making my own! These are really yummy, made even better when they are griddled. Griddling is definitely the secret to a good burger- you want to get that lovely "charred" taste to it. The tomato relish is delicious as well, and can of course be made in advance and kept in the fridge for a couple of days. The burgers as well can be frozen easily, so if you're planning a barbeque any time soon, these would be a sure winner! In my burger here, I have put relish, salad, and also spread with a little bit of wholegrain mustard + yoghurt (nicer than mayo i think- and healthier). I also reckon a rasher of crispy smoked bacon chucked in there wouldnt go amiss! (although not as good for my diet-conscious mind at the moment!)

Homemade Beef Burgers, with tomato relish (makes 6 burgers)

Burgers
500g lean minced beef
½ red onion, very finely diced
35g hoisin sauce
3 slices white bread, turned into breadcrumbs
1 egg yolk
Salt and pepper

Relish
1 tbsp oil
½ red onion, diced finely
1 celery stick, diced finely
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp dukka (a mix of toasted ground cumin, coriander and sesame seeds)
¼ tsp crushed chilli flakes
250g diced ripe tomatoes
2 bay leaves
2 tsp red wine vinegar
2 tsp sugar
10g capers, finely chopped

1. For the relish, sauté the onion, celery, garlic, dukka and chilli flakes in the oil, covered for 5 minutes. Add all other ingredients except the capers, and cook covered for a further 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the chopped capers, and set aside.
2. Mix together all the burger ingredients with plenty of seasoning. Heat a griddle pan on a medium-high heat. Mould the meat into 6 burgers, all weighing 95-100g (trying to get them nice and flat!).
3. In batches, griddle the burgers for 2 minutes on one side, 2 minutes on the other side, and then flip over once more and cook for a further minute, pressing down. Serve the burgers in nice baps, with the tomato relish and salad!