Celebrity chef Michael Van de Elzen shares his tips for a perfect burger

  • 25/07/2018

Burgers are often thought of as a guilty pleasure, but Kiwi chef Michael Van de Elzen stopped by the AM Show on Wednesday to share that they don't always have to be.  

For those burger purists who would argue a true burger is bun, patty and a mountain of cheese, van de Elzen says they should give his "burger in a bowl" a chance.

"It's just changing it out, it's going 'hey it doesn't always have to be in a bun'," he says. 

"You're eating a taste sensation. The burger came about because they wanted to eat meat in their hands - you're still doing that, it's just in a bowl."

His tricks for making the perfect patty?

"Start with good mince to begin with," van der Elzen advises.

"Stuff that's fresh and hasn't been frozen. Once it's frozen, it starts to break down a bit.

"You want a premium grade beef with a little fat running through. Once it's bound together and pressed, put it into the fridge to let it set for a while."

He also advises to cook around four minutes each side, but you "don't want to cook the bugger out of them".

"You've got to have the moisture and the juice. And that's what you'll get over a vegetarian patty."

But van der Elzen's absolute no-no might upset some millenials - he can't stand avocado in his burger.

"I can't handle it. It dominates all the flavour - you eat it and it's all you can taste".

Michael Van der Elzen will be at The Food Show in Auckland from July 26-29.

Watch the full AM Show video above.

Newshub.