The Burger Baron serves up another pre-lunch smash hit!

By The Burger Baron

Love a bit of spice in your life to wake you up first thing in the morning? Consider treating yourself to some loaded, decadent, yet surprisingly simple and easy smashburgers tacos!

Here’s the cheat sheet…

Smash a patty onto your pan or grill with a soft tortilla on top, once golden brown, flip, add your melty cheese and fold, briefly grilling the back of the tortilla on both sides to melt the cheese. 

Feeling like you deserve a little more for breakfast – of course you do! Perhaps grill some bacon and/or egg at the same time. 

Remove, peel it open (witness an amazing cheese pull beyond any grilled cheese you've ever seen), add your fillings. 

Above are the components for one of my typical breakfast burgers but here’s what I pack into each taco:

• 1 rasher streaky Bacon
• 1 small egg
• 1/2 a hash brown (extra crunch!)
• Pickled jalapenos
• Spicy salsa
• Burger sauce

This little masterpiece is whipped up in a matter of minutes, but alas, the process of consuming sadly also only lasts a matter of minutes. Zero regrets though, this is truly a transformative breakfast experience!

With all the lashings (that you may already have in your fridge), this dish ticks every flavour box: salty, sweet, savoury, umami, sour, with added creamy unctuousness from the cheese and burger sauce and a spicy kick from the salsa and the jalapenos to really elevate the endorphins. It's a wild ride that must be tried. 

What a way to start the day!

The Steak butter odyssey is the perfect finish to the start of a feast

By the Burger Baron and The Steak Whisperer

Happily, the dark days are behind us where someone can carelessly douse the quality steak in supermarket tomato or BBQ sauce without being whisked away and thrown in prison to face a life of indentured servitude. I remember as if it was yesterday, my dear departed father looking on in disbelief as barbecue loving Aussies would nonchalantly pour beer on their steaks gleefully watching them bubble and moan on the hot plate before whipping them onto a paper plate and immediately drowning any hopes of a flavoursome piece of beef in a deluge of Heinz or Rosella's finest.

It was hard to watch as a youngster and even harder as a full-grown man to fight back angry tears of resentment when I hear that this practise, that no one really talks about in polite society, still persists. But I do empathise with those that feel embarrassed and driven to avert their eyes at the sight of a naked steak in elegant repose, displayed on a vacant plate – sans sauce to cover its char-less shame. [Ed. Hey man, is everything okay?] Sometimes we simply must consider the “sauce”.

My esteemed colleagues, The Bearded Canadian and The Burger Baron, have distinguished themselves again and again by creating all manner of steak spices, chimichurri varietals and even fruit-based companions to enhance the robust, ketonic, character of the cut. However, these are not gents that rest easy on their culinary laurels. Far from it. Known for both a lively imagination and an almost maniacal inquisitiveness, it's come as no surprise that butter and it's complex and utterly delightful relationship with steak has fallen under the intense gaze of the FoB squad. Let's have a look.

Compounding the issue of steak plus butter

The creation, presentation and ultimately the taste and texture of FoB’s new favourite compound butter was recently rigorously assessed at two of our “tastings” at FoB Central. Here’s The Burger Baron with more:

“So, our mate from Melt Espresso Bar gave us some nduja which is “well spicy” [Ed. A frightening harbinger from our heat-seeking Burger Baron!!!!]. And on their recommendation, we incorporated it into a compound butter. Now this nduja was so-o-o-o-o spicy, and I am the kind of freak that puts Carolina hot sauce on every meal, be warned, I had to dilute it with double the amount of butter to avoid the possibility of panic attacks. However, with some additional ingredients and flavour colours (Ed. What?] some elements of sweetness were brought to the fore and we finished with a delightful accoutrement. And I think you’ll agree that the finished product looks fantastic!”

Consider the source sauce – another amazing recipe, kinda…

Here at FoB, we’re known to keep pushing the possibilities and flavour profiles until it becomes clear we’ve gone too far… and then pull it back. It’s the only way to discover and develop some of our wonderful, otherworldly classics like The Bearded Canadian’s flayed BBQ duck breast in a chilli jam glaze rice-paper roll [Ed. Still recovering!]. So, let’s let The Burger Baron tell us about his latest sauce odyssey.

“…but just when I'm thinking that perhaps I've taken it too far, I realise that I haven't taken it further enough.

Turning our attention to steak frites, I found myself working on a medium rare porterhouse on a bed of shoestring fries. The occasion called for a sauce, so I went with an au poivre sauce and garnished the steak with garlic chives.

The “AP” sauce is hard to describe. It's kind of a compound butter on steroids [Ed. Hungry ASADA officials enter the chat…], that is to say it has about 17 different ingredients brought together via a number of quite complex processes. It's like a party in your mouth, but not like a street party with BBQ sausages. Rather, it’s the kind of high-end aristocratic soiree complete with elegantly prepared canapes that Train gets invited to. The sort of soiree I'm rarely invited to. [Ed. Given your hardline rules on burger regulations I'm not surprised that liberal-minded, low-end burger providers would rather you left your feasting judgements at home.]

Anyway, here’s a basic recipe.

A basic AP recipe 

I was slaving for hours over the weekend over this peppery AP sauce, but it worked and if you give it a go, I think you’ll love it too. Now variety is the spice of life, so this is just a basic guide with more than enough wriggle room baked in for you to get creative and make it your own. 

So, we start with a steak butter base. 

• We take a bunch of steak trimmings grill it in the pan to render out a whole lot of fat 
• We add a very generous serve of butter (again, this Marco Pierre White) 
• Toss in rosemary and thyme and let that sit in there for at least an hour 
• Now add garlic (to taste) and strain into a container. That’s your steak butter and that's… step one 

Let’s continue:

• Take a whole bunch of shallots, chop them up and throw them in a pot
• Add a little bit of olive oil and maybe a bit of chicken stock if you’re feeling adventurous
• Then add cream with a little rosemary and thyme 
• And now for the fish sauce, sweet soy sauce 
• Now it’s time to grind and add some toasted red Szechuan peppercorns, green szechuan peppercorns.
• Mix in with you steak butter, patiently, carefully, lovingly and voila!

From here you can apply to your rested steak or indeed, finish your steak by gently spooning your AP sauce over your steak as it completes its final lap of your pan.

It’s fragrant, flavoursome and ready for you to…

Feast on!

Train and The Burger Baron strike BBQ gold in Inglewood, WA

By Train, The Steak Whisperer with The Burger Baron

Saturday night at Blackiron Barbecue. Sounds like a classic western reminiscent of Tombstone, True Grit or more recently the Yellowstone series. – Taylor Sheridan take note!

In reality though, it was a fact-finding mission embarked upon by The Burger Baron and I because we had heard that the (near?) legendary Jason Linto, KCBS luminary, had returned to town. [Ed. Still sounds like a Western, just sayin’… partner] Not only that, he’d returned with a mission in mind: to bring authentic Texas-style BBQ back to Perth. More specifically, Inglewood.

Now right off the bat, the Blackiron Barbecue joint was very heavy on the family-friendly, bunkhouse vibe. White walls, black-frames and font, but not in Chanel way. As I say, classic bunkhouse décor. Functional furniture that offers a place to park your caboose more so than to recline for hours. After all, you’re here to eat great BBQ and chew the fat if you’ve a notion to spin a yarn. But what about the man (Jason) and more particularly the food. Well let’s get to it.

The Menu – a basic BBQ bounty that’ll have you whoopin’ and a-hollerin’

[Ed. You’ll have to excuse Train, he’s been obsessed with Westerns since he was a kid, so this article was always going to be… like this.]

Walk in through the front door, turn left and you’ll see the brown paper menu board with the day’s offer scrawled across it. Brisket and Burnt Ends, along with pork ribs are priced by the 100g, sides include mac ‘n’ cheese. They also have sausage for those that enjoy the snap and chew of the beef, cheese and jalapeno variety. There are other items including a dessert, but the salad type stuff was lost on me. No one seemed much bothered by that because everyone seemed to know that you visit the Blackiron for the meats.

Okay pricing. Some may try to argue that the asking is a little on the high side. I disagree. This is a “get what you pay for” world and I’m here to tell you [Ed. Spoiler alert] that I paid for quality and I got just that. Let’s get to the specifics though and I’ll let The Burger Baron italicise his way through his assessment of the offerings and I’ll chime in with normal font to avoid too much confusion.

-  Pork Ribs or ‘Dry Ribs'? No, they aren't dry, they're moist and perfectly cooked, BUT they aren't covered in BBQ sauce like many Aussies would expect, and I wouldn't change a thing! A punchy pepper-heavy salt and pepper rub is all that's needed to make these ribs shine. Enjoy these for what they are and save your sweet tooth instead for the chopped brisket!

I’ve got to say these were simply delicious. They’re a bit of a honey trap because you could end up buying (and consuming) way more than you originally intended. Personally, I could’ve spent the evening devouring these by the kilogram but I’m a professional and realise that balance is the key. [Ed. I have no words]

- Chopped Brisket, did somebody say burnt ends? Coated in a nice, tacky BBQ sauce, that rather than being sickly sweet, is balanced out beautifully with a healthy dash of vinegar, creating a sweet and tangy experience that leaves you wanting more, more, more!

Agreed. This was a standout for me. I had to get Jason to explain to me twice why this extraordinary item was listed as chopped meat (or chopped brisket) rather than burnt ends. Something about people thinking Burnt ends means the portions were burnt. Dunno. They’re delicious though.

- Sausage Link - Beef, Cheese & Jalapeno, my favourite snag. Perfectly emulsified consistency inside, contrasted with a decently snappy exterior and the odd crunchy piece of jalapeno inside. Just enough cheese to give a velvety mouthfeel, without overdoing it, and an aftertaste that rides with you for a bit.

I love it when the jalapeno turns up late to the party but works hard to catch-up. A fine sausage that aggressively proclaims its beefy birthright. 

- Wagyu Brisket. Jiggly, perfectly cooked, passes every classic BBQ test (fold/pull) with flying colours. Great bark, just a little light on the salt inside.

Enjoyed this but… needed a little more salt. Not a massive issue but if I’m picking nits, that’s the only thing I could pick and you could successfully argue that that’s just a personal preference, and you’d be right. But there it is. Hey, any more of those ribs?

- Complimentary Pickles - Featuring Southwest legend Rickles Pickles from Donnybrook, these sweet and sour dill pickles contrast the fatty cuts, break up a rich meal and give a very welcome, very FORWARD dill sucker punch. Like a herbaceous chimichurri complementing a savoury steak, these dill pickles hit different to anything you'll get at a supermarket.

Pickles were good. Flavoursome, complex without being weird about it but best of all, they did their job without trying to do too much. Well played.

I should give an honourable mention to the dessert, A delightful Key Lime Pie. Try it, trust me and thank everyone later.

So, tell us about Jason…

He’s a bit like a cowboy but nothing like one. He told me that his inspiration was born from his time in Texas being around great people making unbelievable food and he’s committed himself to bringing the techniques and dedication that comes with BBQ in Texas, all the way to Inglewood for people from Perth and further afield to enjoy.

I could tell that he’s the type of guy that will shoehorn a giant smoker that handles hundreds of kilos of beef into a sea container from Texas just to serve BBQ to the community. I love it, it’s laudable and it was great to spend a little time with the man, share a few tales and stagger out of the Blackiron, full as a boot.

Verdict: Highly recommended, FoB approved!

The evolution of the enhanced FoB entrée continues

By The Burger Baron

The more things change, the more things stay the same, as the saying goes. These days, people love change but certainly in the world of food and more particularly BBQ, a lot of people love what they like and always will. Doesn’t mean we can’t experiment, adapt and evolve certain traditional and much-loved ideas into awesome new dishes.

Enter the Smashburger Tacos. The nexus of two established favourites.

When two favs become one!

As the Burger Baron, I’ve toiled for years to understand and refine Burger Science and at times I’ve been told (by Train) that some of my opinions have been presented as if they were laws as opposed to thoughts. So be it! Burgers make up at least two delicious pillars of not only the food matrix but also that of society (Ed. You’re doing it again!). Not to make too fine a point (Ed. Better). 

Tacos are a worthy inhabitant of the Mount Rushmore of Food Truck classics and so I’ve delved deeply into their origins, mining for tips on authenticity, method and optimising flavours. Both culinary phenoms are close to my heart, so combining the two is a labour of love. Best as I can tell, you can break the instructions into 5 easy-to-digest tips.

5 easy-to-digest tips for smashing the taco paradigm: a how-to guide

Okay, knowing simplicity is key, let’s not mince words, brevity is best so here we go:

1. use fatty beef mince as you would a normal smashburger
2. rather than seasoning with salt alone, spice it up with some Mexican seasoning
3. forget using a square of baking proof paper between the mince and your smasher when you smash, throw the tortilla straight onto the meat and smash away!
4. once the meat patty is dark brown/nicely caramelised:
5. once cooled a bit, pull it back open and apply your favourite toppings, such as coriander, sour cream, pickled red onion (or even just pickles if you aren’t ready to go the full-Mexican experience).

These are great. I love them and so do most people I know, and as we often say here at Feast on Beasts… Feast on!