THE BEST RECIPES HAVE A STORY
Today, we makes a dish as American as apple pie, baseball, and reality politics. The hamburger. But this isn't just any burger. This is Ernest Hemingway's burger.
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Recipe Vault Rating: 9.4/10
Serves: 4–6
Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 10 mins
Difficulty: Easy
Pans Required: 1 Legacy Pan, 1 Burger Press
Ernest Hemingway was a bearded man who survived two plane crashes in two days.
But he wasn’t just good at falling.
Hemingway once caught seven marlin in one afternoon.
He attended two world wars. On purpose.
He came up with his own nickname: “Papa”.
And he established a minimalist writing style that influenced 20th-century literature. This reductive style, known as the “Iceberg Theory”, is most evident in his celebrated six-word story: “For sale: Baby shoes. Never worn.”
When he wasn’t cheating at writing, Hemingway found comfort in the honest flavours of a well-crafted burger. Join us as we step into his kitchen, where the aroma of coffee mingled with salt air and the rhythmic clacking of his typewriter.
Mr Hemingway typing next to a mountain in a leather vest.
Mr Hemingway realising the salesperson was wrong.
Tights do not win fights.
An early draft of Mr Hemingway’s burger recipe.
Mr Hemingway holding a bathroom shotgun.
1 kg beef mince
1 egg, beaten
2 T sage powder
3 T relish or chutney
1 T celery powder
1 T onion powder
2 large spring onions, finely sliced
1 bulb garlic, minced
4 T capers, lightly chopped or whole
½ c finely chopped parsley
1 t freshly ground black pepper
1 t salt
½ c red wine, reduced to 4 T (optional)
2 T olive oil
4–6 burger buns (we used brioche)
Fresh tomato
Lettuce
Gherkins
Mustard
Tomato sauce
Mayonnaise
To reduce the wine, simmer it in a small pot or pan until it has reduced by half, then leave it to cool.
Mix all the ingredients apart from the olive oil together and leave to sit for 5 minutes.
Roll into evenly sized balls.
Heat the oil in your Legacy Pan until almost smoking hot.
Heat the Ironclad Burger Press until smoking hot and spray it lightly with olive oil spray.
Place 2–3 burger balls in the pan, depending on their size, and press them down with the burger press to ¾ inch thick. Don’t overcrowd the pan and turn the heat down to medium.
We like our burgers thick, juicy and medium rare. We made 5 burgers with this mix and pressed them to ¾ inch thick. They cooked for 3 minutes per side and then rested for 5 minutes. For medium, cook an extra minute on each side. For well done, cook an extra 2 minutes per side.
Serve on your favourite burger buns with your favourite accompaniments.
Here’s a playlist to listen to while you cook Hemingway’s burger. Songs he loved, rhythms he chased, and music from a time when writing was sparse and beards were thick. Listen on Spotify.
