Beef burger with cheese

he burger you get when you go and order a burger is NOT a burger. THIS is a burger - fresh, generous, and made even better with a home-made relish (see Tomato Relish).

Feeds 4

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 slices white bread
• 100 ml milk
• 500 g prime minced beef
• 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley
• 1 tbsp finely snipped chives
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 4 slices bacon or pancetta
• 4 slices cheese eg gruyere, jarlsberg
• 4 hamburger buns, sourdough rolls or muffins
• 4 tbsp tomato relish (click here for recipe)
• 8 lettuce leaves
• 2 tomatoes, thickly sliced
• 2 tbsp quality mayonnaise

1. Heat half the olive oil and cook the onion until it softens, then set aside.
   
   
2. Soak the white bread in the milk, then squeeze dry and finely chop. In a bowl, mix the minced beef with the onions, bread, parsley, chives, salt and pepper.
   
   
3. Add the egg, and mix well with your hands, squeezing and kneading.
   
   
4. Form the mixture into four thick patties that are roughly the same diameter as the bun. Cover with plastic wrap and chill until needed.
   
   
5. Grill or pan-fry the bacon or pancetta.
   
   
6. If grilling, brush the burgers with the remaining olive oil and grill on both sides until well-browned. If pan-frying, heat the remaining olive oil in a heavy-based frypan and cook the burgers for on both sides until well-browned. Top each one with a slice of cheese as it comes off the heat.
   
   
7. Split the buns, and lightly toast the insides only. Do not butter. Top the base buns with tomato relish, then place lettuce leaves on top. Arrange the cheese-burger on the lettuce, top with two rashers of bacon, and a slice of tomato. Add a dollop of mayonnaise and the remaining bun half, and serve.