– RECIPES BELOW –

Most people that know me know there’s a place in my heart for the United States, especially California. The first year I went I made a silent promise to myself that I’d do my best to eat a different burger a day, EVERY day which most of my 3 weeks there became a delicious reality. No matter what restaurant we went to there was a burger on the menu but no matter where I went, and how many times I go back. One burger sticks out and still outshines any burger I’ve ever had to date.

IN n OUT has done something special, opening a drive through fast food chain while still using fresh, and freshly cooked ingredients. They cut, cook and turn fresh potatoes into fries right in front of you while you wait. But as nice as that is, it’s not what makes me go back, its that magical original tasting sauce. Similar to what you get in a Big Mac but way better! When I got back from my last trip in June 2016 I had to try and make that sauce, I knew I wouldn’t duplicate it but anything similar would fulfil my cravings until the next time I’m fortunate enough to eat it.

I think its good enough to be blog worthy so here it is! Tip Tip Brioche style buns, home made IN n OUT style sauce with the one and only McClures Pickles, all the way from Detroit! Fresh iceberg lettuce, sliced tomatoes, 160g pure beef pattie – no breadcrumbs or eggs like grandmas recipe. Mainland tasty cheese slices, finely diced fried onions and crispy shaved Beehive bacon. If your up for the all out experience then you can cook up some of your favourite shoestring fries, melt some more tasty cheese onto them topped with fried onions and that oh so special sauce, wullah! Loaded fries just like you’d have at the california classic – IN n OUT.

HAPPY BBQ SEASON! – B

IN n OUT Style Sauce

(Similar to Big Mac sauce.)

Prep & Ingredients:

• Mustard Mayonnaise     1 cup/ 150g
• (or your favourite mayo)
• Heinz’Ketchup     ^1/3 cup/ 100g
• Worchestershire     1 tbsp/ 5g
• Kaitaia Fire or Tobasco   1 tbsp/ 10g 
• American Mustard     ½ tbsp/ 10g
• Pickles     ½ cup/ 90g diced.
• (Preferably McClures)
• Fresh Lemon Juice     1 tbsp/ 8g
• Black Pepper     A good pinch.

Step by Step:

1. Remove any excess liquid from diced pickles by using a clean chux cloth or thin tea towel and ringing them out lightly.

2. Add drained pickles to a mixing bowl along with the rest of the ingredients and mix well.

3. Refrigerate in a clean, dry and air tight contianer, allow it to sit for flavours to develop untill you need to use. (Best to use within 3 days*)

(I managed to find French’s Mustard and McClures pickles at New World Victoria park. Let me know if you spot them anywhere else!)

Mustard Mayo

( For IN n OUT style sauce. )

Prep & Ingredients:

• Canola/Soya bean oil     1 ¼ Cups/ 240g
• McClures pickle juice     1 tbsp/ 10g (Use apple cider vinegar if you’re not using McClures pickles.)
• Flaky sea salt     1 tsp/ 5g
• Free range eggs     2
• Fresh lemon juice      1 tbsp/ 10g
• American mustard     1 tbsp/ 20g

Step by Step:

1. Add the 2 yolks from eggs, American mustard, lemon juice and pickle juice or apple cider vinegar to a mixing bowl.

2. Place a tea towel uner the bowl and using a stick blender or electric mixer, whisk this mixture and start to very slowly incorporate the oil from a measuring jug creating an emulsion*. Pausing the additon of oil whenever it begins to pool in the mixture to avoid it splitting*.

3. Once finished mix through flaky salt and put into a well cleaned and dried jar or air tight tupperware container in the fridge. (Best to use within 3 days.)

Handy Tip: Keep excess mayo in a clean jar or air tight container and use for sandwiches or making salad dressings.

Food Smarts: An emulsion is usually when you successfully combine oil and something like vinegar together for dressings and it holds without splitting.

IN n OUT Style Cheese Burgers

( With Bacon. )

Prep & Ingredients:

• IN n OUT Style Sauce     x1 recipe.
• Premium Beef Mince     1kg
• Beehive Shaved Bacon     180g (x1 pack)
• Mainland Tasty Cheese Slices     6 slices.
• Brown/White Onion     X2 large/ Around 300g. 
• Iceberg Lettuce     3 outer leaves halved.
• Tomatoes     2 sliced.
• Tip Top Brioche Style Buns     6 halved.

Step by Step:

Mince

1. Carefully cut squares of baking paper, just big enough to cover each pattie. (Size of the buns.)
2. Using a digital scale weigh out six 160g portions of mince, roughly roll into balls.
3. Work* each ball of mince by throwing it backwards and forwards in your hands.
4. On a clean chopping board, evenly press and mould each ball of mince into good sized patties. (Around 1cm thick.)
5. Slide a large kitchen knife under the pattie to remove it from the board and place it in between slices of portioned baking paper. Glad wrap and refrigerate them untill you’re ready to cook.
6. Either BBQ or bring a large pan to almost maxiumum heat and add a little oil, carefully place them into the pan and cook for 2 minutes or untill it gets a nice dark brown colour, flip, add tasty cheese slices and cook for another 2 minutes. Or untill cheese is nicely melted. Allow them to rest* on a plate for a minute or two before serving.

Onions

1. Using a large sharp knife, cut the onions in half (End to end), and remove the skins while keeping the bottom(root) end of the onion intact.
2. Put the peeled onion on its flat side and make thin vertical slices down the top side of the onion but only cutting 95% of the way through so you still keep the root intact!
3. Carefully make 2 evenly spaced horizontal slices into the onion, once again only 95% of the way through.
4. Now with the root to the left of you, make thin slices against the other slices giving you brunoise*.(fine dice)
5. Heat a large frying pan to a medium heat, add a little oil and saute onions untill slughtly charred and a nice caramel colour., aprrox 7-10 minutes. Season with a little salt and pepper and keep aside.

(For cutting refer to beginning of how to video.)

Bacon

1. Heat a large pan to a medium heat and add half the pack of bacon at a time to the pan, evenly spread apart and not quite touching.
2. Once first side is nicely browned and cripsy , approx 3-4 minutes, flip and cook untill the second side is nicely browned and cripsy. (Second side cookes faster than the first.)
3. Place bacon on to a few sheets of paper towels to absorb excess oil.

The Build

1. Microwave buns for 30-40 Seconds or just untill warmed through, slightly toast under the grill or in a clean pan and wipe 1 generous table spoon of sauce onto each bottom bun. (Over microwaving will make them chewy.)
2. Pull apart ½ a washed leaf of iceberg and put onto each burger.
3. Add 2 slices of tomato.
4. Add the cooked beef pattie and cheese.
5. Add a generous tablespoon of fried onions.
6. Add 1.5-2 slices of cripsy bacon to each.
7. Add another generous tablespoon of sauce!
8. Finish with the toasted top bun.

Handy Tips:

• Keep high risk foods like raw meat, seafood and poultry in the fridge whenever you aren’t prepping or cooking them.
• You can pre cook all of the patties and cheese, keep them a side and then put them all on to an oven tray, grill to reheat and melt cheese.
• Carefully cut squares of baking paper, just big enough to cover each pattie to keep them from sticking to each other.

Food Smarts:

• Most high risk cooked or raw food has a 3 day shelf life for safe eating.
• ‘Season-ing’ – Kitchen term for Salt & Pepper.
• ‘Rest-ing’ – The process of letting meat rest after cooking, allowing excess blood/juices to escape. Meat also continues to cook for some time after removing from heat.
• ‘Work-ing’ – When it comes to mince, the body temperature from your hands help soften the fat which helps bind your patties together.
• ‘Brunoise’ – French term for fine dice.