..."some bones may remain"...

The last thing I want to do is bore you with ex-pat observations, but I have to enthusiastically illustrate some North American and UK food and food advertising comparisons. Take the company Heinz, for example, a household name on both sides of the pond, yet a brand that some Brits, like myself, are proud to say is British....except it's not. Why did I assume my Baked Beans and beloved mushroom soup originated in Blighty? Probably because of some clever TV commercials geared towards my native country. It's interesting to watch the exact same commercials within a few weeks of each other in both the UK and North America. Subtle nuances such as accent, vocabulary and even facial expressions are changed just enough to appeal to different cultures and that speaks volumes itself about the differences..

Case in point: This is a British targeted advert for Doggy Dentures by Pedigree, and.....

...the exact same advert made for North American consumers. See what you think..

There are many more too. Neil and I stare at the TV in disbelief while watching them when we are home in the UK. What's more disturbing to us is the fact that the North American versions seem so much more natural now after 8.5 years of living here. 

Another commercial that really caught my attention was for multi grain cheerios. Having seen the original in the UK with British accents and her smile quickly disappearing at the end,  it was a shock to see this version....

What's interesting is the way they cut at the end while she is still smiling, (I couldn't find the original UK version for comparison). It says a lot about what is expected within the comfy confines of a marital home on either side of the Atlantic....you make your own mind up.

All this is leading somewhere, I promise you. It was while watching an episode of an old 70's UK sitcom that I started thinking about food differences. In the comedy, they were eating lunch: burger and chips, except it wasn't the North American style we are all now so familiar with; a burger in a bun with fries, it was in the old British sense, simply a burger, probably cooked from frozen, unadorned, nestling next to some chips. I remember eating this meal often, Neil too and the burgers also tasted different to what we are now used to. They had a more spiced taste, full of umpteen flavourings, no doubt, but we miss them all the same. They were probably from Bird's Eye, a prominent British frozen food company. I decided to research the product on the Internet and found this website. They're definitely the same burgers, albeit pictured in a bun on the front cover, but what concerned me was the disclaimer: "Although great care has been taken to remove all bones, some may remain". Nice, glad to know they're literally advertising the kind of meat used. I wonder if the differences between these two cultures take on burgers tells us as much as the commercials do? Of course, you can find a terrible burger in North America and an excellent one in the UK, so I'm generalising somewhat.

North American burgers are amazing in comparison. Yes, we have fond memories of those thin, hard frozen affairs, especially when burnt to a crisp on a British barbecue, but at least North American burgers are all prime beef, (no mechanically reclaimed meat on these - unless you count the pink slime in the US). To make a good burger you should really use a good cut of beef with some fat and grind it in a grinder rather than a food processor, adding a few optional extras if you so desire, (bacon is now becoming popular, as is cheese, see the links at bottom of post). Imagine a fat, juicy burger with a beefy, savoury flavour, wrapped up in a floury or chewy bun with a few artisan condiments such as Dijon mustard, hot sauce and home made cucumber pickle. Now, (if you're from the UK), compare it to that tough, chewy piece of cardboard eaten naked. Which will win? Somehow I think nostalgia for home products and mum's cooking will conquer every time.

Recipe : Home made burger

There are many varying recipes for burgers from cuts of meat and added flavourings to condiments and type of bread, this is my version, there are a few extra ideas in the link below and of course, a wealth of burger knowledge on the web.

Here I used chuck steak, known as braising steak in the UK with a substantial amount of fat to melt and provide succulence, (about 30% is recommended, otherwise your burger will be too dry and tough). As I mentioned earlier, aficionados would state that only a grinder will give you the exact texture you need for a good burger. I don't have one, but I won't let that stop me from improvising with a food processor).

For 2 1/4 lb burgers.

1/2 lb chuck steak with a good proportion of fat, (see above)

1 tsp steak seasoning

1/2 tsp salt

a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce

a few sprinkles of paprika

For the accompaniment

5 mini bell peppers, seeded and finely sliced

4 mushrooms, sliced

1 tsp oil

1/2 tsp salt and freshly ground black pepper

Either grind your meat or process until fairly well ground but not pureed, (think of the texture of bought ground beef - not so easy to achieve in a processor - try and get a breadcrumb type texture)

Place the meat in a bowl and add the seasonings, mixing well with your hands to evenly distribute.

Divide the mixture in two and use your hands to pat each half into a burger shape. Neil swears that making them flatter and larger than you would imagine helps them to plump up when cooking and not shrink too much, it seems to work.

Lay the burgers on a plate, cover with cling wrap and refrigerate until you are ready to cook. 

Remove the burgers from the fridge about 10 minutes before you cook them to allow them to breathe a little.

How you cook them is a myriad of choices up to you. I usually grill (broil) them, edging on slightly overdone to get a crispy, well browned exterior, but this would be heresy in some people's eyes, where just cooked juiciness is the main aim. If I had a barbecue, I would cook them over the smoky coals every time, even in the snow. Some people fry them so a gravy can be made with the dripping juices. I've never tried it but imagine it may be good, if a little messy.

For the accompaniment:

Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat and add the peppers and mushrooms. 

Fry until softened and beginning to brown slightly, season and stir well. Keep warm.

A few minutes before serving, you can cover the surface of the burger with a good, sharp cheddar cheese and a few sliced shallots to be popped back under the grill until the cheese is melted and golden. Pile on the accompaniment and add your other extras.

My condiments of choice are organic ketchup, Dijon mustard, cucumber relish and a few drops of hot sauce. 

I don't mind what bread is offered, whether it be a chewy mini ciabatta, a floury sesame bun or two slices of multi grained bread as seen here. 

Other burger related links:

 Burgers with bacon inside

many burger ideas from Yummly