VIDEO: Quick and easy gourmet burgers

Canadian beef burger with a fresh, colored, cherry tomato Checca sauce

Ingredients for two huge burgers or four smaller ones
2 or 4 whole wheat Kaizer bun
500g fresh ground Canadian beef
1 whole garlic bulb, candied (recipe follows)
1/2 small fresh white onion
1 spring fresh oregano
To taste freshly ground pepper
¼ teaspoon kosher sea salt
20 ml olive oil (if cooking it in a frying pan)
15 g butter (if cooking it in a frying pan)

Checca sauce
2 cup or 300g whole colored organic cherry tomatoes
150g dice fresh mozzarella (bocconcini)
60 ml extra virgin olive oil
6 leaves fresh basil
To taste freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon kosher sea salt

Preparation 

1. Put the freshly ground beef in a glass or stainless steel bowl (cul de poule) 
   
2. Squeeze out the candied garlic clove by pressing the bulb with the back of a chef's knife and mix it in with the meat 
   
3. Chop the white onion finely and add it the meat
   
4. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper, and add the Panko bread crumbs
   
5. Mix until all the ingredients are well blended  
   
6. Divide the mixture in desired amount of patties on a cutting board
7. Shape the patties and reserve on a plate 
8. On medium heat in a frying pan, add the olive oil and the butter and cook the patties for 5 minutes on each side or until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 74C 
9. In the meantime, prepare the Checca sauce
10. Place quartered tomatoes in a bowl and add the chopped basil, olive oil, salt and pepper; mix well and reserve to top your burger
11. With a serrated knife, split the bun in two — you could toast it on the grill on both sides
12. Top the bun with the burger patty and Checca sauce; add mustard or other condiments of your choice

Enjoy!

For the candied garlic

1. With a sharp knife, cut the garlic bulb a ¼ inch from the core and place in a bowl
2. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher sea salt and freshly ground pepper
3. Add one spring of fresh thyme, a bay leaf and a spring of rosemary
4. Place the garlic bulbs in a sauté pan, cover and cook in the oven at 300C for about 60 minutes
5. Cool down and reserve in the fridge at 4C until needed.