Hot Hamburger Platter Dinner

One thing my Todd has always wanted to do is to go to a diner to eat. You know . . . just like the ones on the telly that you see in all those American movies.

All chrome and formica . . . and juke boxes, waitresses named Sally, and a coffee cup that has no bottom.

Club sandwiches, gravy fries and mile high pies.



I thought I would try to recreate a Diner meal for him here at home tonight, but in as low fat as possible. One of my favourites back home use to be the Hot Hamburger Sandwich Platter.



A big oval platter, loaded up with hot fries, a huge hamburger pattie on a toasted bun, with oodles of gravy slathered over top and a small bucket of coleslaw on the side. Washed down with an ice cold soda pop. It can't be beat!



It might not be much to look at, but what it lacks in looks, it more than makes up for in flavour. I used extra lean ground steak, which I flavoured with onion powder, garlic, seasoning salt and black pepper . . . lots of onion and garlic. I then divided the meat into four equal shapes and then flattened them as thin as I could into a huge flat irregular sized burgers, so they had lots of little nooks and crannies on the edges.



Because they were really thin, they cooked in quick time and all the moisture stayed inside the burger, so they were moist as well as flavourful, with a nice sear on the outside. The chips . . . why oven baked of course, and cut so thin that they also turned out nicely browned with crisp golden edges.



You can make your own pan gravy if you wish. (I tell you how) or you can just open a tin of beef gravy. Me, I opted for Bisto, coz there is not much fat in it., and it's as easy as boiling the kettle.



Even the coleslaw, my own homemade, was low in fat . . . as I used a fat free mayo and low fat creme fraiche. The only thing I didn't do was to put on a short dress and ask him to "kiss ma grits!" (I also didn't ask for a tip!) Oh, and there was no pie . . . sigh . . .




*Hot Hamburger Platter Dinner*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

It's diner food for the UK! A delicious well flavoured hot hamburger patty on a toasted bun half, topped with gravy and served with crispy fries and coleslaw!

1 pound extra lean minced steak
1 TBS minced garlic
1 TBS onion powder
1 tsp seasoned salt
5 TBS flour
1 litre of beef broth
4 large baking potatoes
oil
seasonings for the fries (I like the smoked paprika, sweet red pepper and thyme mix from M&S)
salt and black pepper
Toasted Bun halves
Coleslaw, your own or purchased

Preheat the oven to 225*C/425*F/ gas mark 7. Have ready a large baking sheet.

Wash the potatoes and dry well. Cut into thin chips. Toss them onto the baking sheet. Pour about 1 TBS of oil over top along with some of your chosen seasoning and some salt and black pepper. Toss together with your hands. Place into the heated oven and bake for about 35 to 40 minutes, until golden brown and crispy.

Mix together the minced steak, garlic, onion powder, seasoned salt and a bit of salt and lots of black pepper to taste. (You can pinch off a little bit and fry it in a pan to see if you have the seasoning correct if you wish.) Shape into large flat irregular shaped patties.

Place a large skillet over mediium high heat. Add a bit of oil and fry the patties until well browned on both sides and cooked through. Remove and keep warm. Reserve any drippings in the pan. There probably won't be much. You will need about 4 TBS. You can add some butter to the pan drippings to make this up. Once the fat is melted and hot, stir in the flour, whisking it in well. Slowly whisk in the broth a bit at a time, whisking until the gravy thickens. Simmer for several minutes then taste and adjust seasoning as required.

Divide the fries between 4 heated plates. Place a toasted bun half on each and top with a burger. Spoon over some of the gravy, making sure it covers the burger and some of the chips. Serve with coleslaw on the side. Enjoy!

Beef Bourguignon

This was something that I made at the weekend, and am only now getting on to writing about it on here. I actually made it on Saturday, and then warmed it up in the slow cooker on Sunday when we were at church.



My goodness but it sure did smell wonderful when we arrived back home and opened up the door! We are always famished when we get home from church and it's really nice to have something on tap and waiting for us when we get in.

Sure . . . most times we have something simple and quick like egg and chips, beans on toast, or . . . spaghetti on toast . . . but then again . . .



Sometimes we have something really scrummy like Boeuf Bourguignon!! Rich and rib sticking, it may seem a bit old fashioned, but really . . . how can something as delicious as this ever really go out of style . . .

It is fabulous . . . tastily tender chunks of beef and meaty mushrooms in a rich and delicious gravy. Perfect over noodles or (in Todd's case) mashed potatoes! You'll want to serve a nice crusty roll with it so that you can scoop up every last bit of that scrumminess on your plate. (Sorry Mitzie, no leftovers for you today!)



It's one of those tasty meals that seems to get better and better each day it stands. We had the leftovers tonight, warmed in a casserole and topped with a swede/potato mash a la cottage pie. It does make rather a lot and so the rest I've popped into the freezer to take out sometime when we are wanting something rich and filling and delicious. Win/win/win!



*Boeuf Bourguinon*
Serves 8
Printable Recipe

Deliciously tender beef. This taste even better if you make it a day ahead of time and let it ripen overnight, which makes it the perfect dinner party meal! Serve with noodles, rice or mashed potatoes!

1 1/2 ounces plain flour (1/3 cup)
2 tsp salt, divided
1 tsp black pepper, divided
2 1/4 pound of stewing beef, cut into 1 inch cubes
3 rashers of rindless, smoked streaky bacon, chopped
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
375ml of dry red wine ( 1 1/2 cups)
14 ounces beef broth
1 1/2 pounds of fresh mushrooms, wiped clean and halved
2 TBS tomato poaste
1 tsp dried thyme
2 bay leaves

Heat a bit of oil in a large saucepan. Add the bacon and cook until browned and crisp. Scoop out with a slotted spoon and set aside. Place the beef in a plastic bag with the flour, 1 tsp of salt and 1/2 tsp of pepper. Shake together to coat the meat and add, 1/2 at a time. Cook and brown on all sides. Scoop out and keep warm. Repeat with the remainder of the meat, using a bit more oil if required. Return all the meat to the pan along with the bacon. Add the onion, carrot and garlic. Cook and stir until the onion begins to soften. Season with the remainder of the salt and pepper. Add the mushrooms, bay leaves, thyme, broth and wine. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and simmer for about 2 hours. Remove the cover and stir, and simmer for an additional 1 1/2 hours until the sauce is thickened and rich and the meat is very tender. Bring to room temperature and then cover and refrigerate overnight. When you are ready to serve, bring slowly back to a simmer on top of the stove. Once it is well heated through you can serve it. Remove the bay leaves before serving.