Burger

Pork and egg burger

Dear Reader,

I hope you are well and eating well. 

I feel well myself and am enjoying the CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet. When I weighed myself this morning, I noted that I had lost 5.2 kilograms since commencing the program. 

My jeans and some of my T-shirts now feel loose. 

While TWD is more than a low carbohydrate approach to eating and living, reducing unnecessary carbohydrate consumption and replacing it with lean protein is crucial. 

I’ve been eating a small portion of granola with unflavoured and unsweetened yoghurt most nights and still losing weight. 

This is a photograph of Gary after he weighed in on Saturday morning for the CSIRO TWD.
Saturday’s TWD weigh-in photograph

I thought this week, I would explore some low-carbohydrate bread options. 

Recipe

Special equipment

  • Water bath
  • Water heater and circulator

Ingredients

  • Pork scotch fillet steak – I found some steak that was about 150 grams. 
  • Salt – Iodised salt because I support the ongoing need for it. Iodine supplementation prevents cretinism. Anyone who tells you that products like Himalayan rock salt are good for you may not have had enough iodine in utero and during their early childhood. 
  • Pepper – I like using whole peppercorns, and with some of the salt, pound it with a pestle in a mortar. Freshly pounded pepper is superior to pepper which has been cracked or ground and then packaged and sold. 
  • Coles 85% lower carb rolls – One roll has 751 kJ, 19.5 g of protein, 8.4 g of fat, and 2.8 g of carbohydrate. 
  • Egg
  • Tomato
  • Lettuce
  • Praise whole egg light mayonnaise 

Instructions

Pork

  • Season a piece of pork with salt and pepper. 
  • Place the pork into a bag, apply a vacuum, and seal it. 
  • Cook the pork at 54 °C for 2 hours. 
  • Remove the pork from the bag and pat dry the surface with absorbent paper. 
  • Sear the steak in a hot cast-iron skillet. 

Burger

  • Cut the bread roll transversely. 
  • Spread some mayonnaise on the bottom piece of bread. Make it a thin smear; too much is too much. 
  • Toast the bread in a hot skillet until it takes on some colour. 
  • Layer some lettuce leaves on the heel of the bun. 
  • Add some slices of tomato. 
  • Add the pork scotch steak to the tomato. 
  • Lay a poached egg on the steak. 
  • Complete the burger with the top of the bread roll and gently compress the top to break the egg yolk’s membrane so that the egg yolk oozes over the pork to form a rich, luxurious sauce. 
  • If I were still doing YouTube videos, I’d cut the burger in a coronial plane and then pull apart the halves to reveal the cross-section. I did it so you have a still shot in the photographs.
  • Give thanks to the Lord. 
  • Eat with your hands. 

Final thoughts

This pork burger is a basic sandwich. It has minimised the carbohydrate component by using specialty bread. It is high in protein, and therefore it is filling. What it is not is lean. I did not remove the fat from the pork, and while I did use “light” mayonnaise, it is still mayonnaise. 

The Coles 85% lower-carb bread is pretty good. It toasted nicely, and it tasted good.

Photographs

Slow cooker beef cheek burger

I haven’t made burgers for a while. I have been thinking of a burger for dinner tonight throughout the week. Initially, I was going to grind my meat and make a smash burger. 

My Saturday dinner is a burger made with a sourdough roll, Gary’s special sauce, iceberg lettuce, Coon™ burger cheese, Heritage triple cream brie, slow cooker beef cheek, Roma tomato, and Shepard avocado.

The weather for today was looking gloomy, and my mind went to slow-cooked meat.

That’s when I got the inspiration for beef cheeks!

Ingredients

  • Beef cheeks
  • Barbecue sauce
  • Red wine
  • Beef stock
  • Sourdough bread roll
  • Butter
  • Iceberg lettuce
  • Roma tomato
  • Mayonnaise
  • Tomato sauce
  • Worcestershire sauce
  • Dijonnaise mustard
  • Coon burger cheddar cheese
  • Avocado
  • Heritage triple cream brie

Instructions

  1. In a slow cooker vessel, add the beef cheeks, beef stock, red wine, and barbecue sauce.
  2. Cook for eight hours.
  3. Remove the cooked beef and slice off enough for a sandwich/burger.
  4. Make Gary’s special sauce with mayonnaise, tomato sauce, Dijonnaise mustard, and Worcestershire sauce.
  5. Bisect a sourdough roll.
  6. Toast the soft cut surfaces of the bread roll.
  7. Liberally apply Lurpak butter to both halves of the bread roll.
  8. Trowel a layer of Gary’s special sauce on the heel of the bread roll.
  9. Add shredded iceberg lettuce and then the Coon™ burger cheese and Heritage triple cream brie.
  10. Now is when you add the cooked beef cheek.
  11. Atop the meat, add the sliced Roma tomato and thinly sliced Shepard avocado.
  12. Complete the burger with the top of the bun.
  13. Bisect the burger and get your laughing gear around it.

Final thoughts

  • The burger tasted great. It took quite a bit of effort to make.
  • Would you go to this much trouble to make a burger?
  • Do you like slow-cooked beef cheek?

The Courtney burger

Last week I posted about The Courtney, aka a chicken schnitzel with Hollandaise sauce. Tonight I made The Courtney burger! This delicious burger is simply a chicken thigh schnitzel fried in butter and served with Hollandaise sauce on a hamburger bread roll. I’ve added some raw onion and iceberg lettuce for crunch. The bread roll has also been lightly toasted to add a crunchy mouth feel.

The Courtney burger
Recipe Type: Dinner
Cuisine: Australian
Author: Gary Lum
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 1
Ingredients
  • Chicken thigh schnitzel
  • Hollandaise sauce
  • Burger bread roll
  • Tasty Coon cheese slices
  • Iceberg lettuce
  • White onion
  • Pepper
  • Butter
  • Tomato
Instructions
  1. Cook the chicken thigh schnitzel in grapeseed oil and butter
  2. Toast the bread roll
  3. Slice the tomato
  4. Slice a white onion
  5. Break off some iceberg lettuce leaves
  6. Build the burger
  7. Some butter
  8. Some cheese
  9. Some onion
  10. Some lettuce
  11. Tomato
  12. The schnitzel
  13. The Hollandaise sauce
  14. Shoot some photographs
  15. Eat The Courtney Burger
  16. Wash the dishes
  17. Write the recipes
  18. Blog (verb)

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Earlier in the day I enjoyed a smoked salmon and cream cheese poppy seed bagel.

Smoked salmon, cream cheese, dill and capers on a poppyseed bagel for lunch
Smoked salmon, cream cheese, dill and capers on a poppyseed bagel for lunch

Smoked salmon, cream cheese, dill and capers on a poppyseed bagel for lunch
Smoked salmon, cream cheese, dill and capers on a poppyseed bagel for lunch

Would you make a Courtney burger?

1 vanilla slice, 1 hot pie, 1 coconut jam slice 1 whopper with onion rings

With the gymnastics competition over and Miss13 flying home to Brisbane I had to make my way back to Canberra. It was raining and cold when I left Geelong and it remained gloomy the whole drive to Wangaratta. 

My aim today was to take a leisurely drive through Kilmore, Euroa and Benalla stopping at each place and trying a bakery. 

This is the vanilla slice at Kemp’s Bakery in Kilmore. The bakery is really good. The range of products is large and for travellers the toilets are remarkable. They are so clean. The coffee is also pretty good. Unfortunately the icing on the vanilla slice was very thick making it difficult to break through with a fork. The icing though did have a discernable strawberry flavour. The custard had a nice flavour but it was too gelatinous. I’d happily eat vanilla slices there but they weren’t the best I’ve ever had. 

Vanilla slice from Kemp's Bakery in Kilmore Apple iPhone 6 with iPhone 6 Plus back camera 4.15mm f/2.2 at 4mm and f/2.2, 1/120sec, ISO 32
Vanilla slice from Kemp’s Bakery in Kilmore Apple iPhone 6 with iPhone 6 Plus back camera 4.15mm f/2.2 at 4mm and f/2.2, 1/120sec, ISO 32

Apple + Pro HDR iPhone with iPhone 6 Plus back camera 4.15mm f/2.2 at 4mm and f/2.2, 1/5000sec, ISO 32
Apple + Pro HDR iPhone with iPhone 6 Plus back camera 4.15mm f/2.2 at 4mm and f/2.2, 1/5000sec, ISO 32

I drove through to Euroa while listening to Trek.fm podcasts and stopped at Burkes Bakery. The pies they had on selection were the usual ones you’d see in a country bakery but the bloke serving behind the counter suggested the steak with bacon and egg pie. It was very good and served at perfect eating temperature. It wasn’t too hot and it wasn’t cold. The filling was thick enough that it didn’t fall out after the first bite. The pastry was light but not so flaky that I got it all over me. I’d say it was a perfect casing for what was a very good filling. 

Sunday lunch. Steak, bacon and egg pie from Burkes Bakery in Euroa Apple iPhone 6 with iPhone 6 Plus back camera 4.15mm f/2.2 at 4mm and f/2.2, 1/20sec, ISO 200
Sunday lunch. Steak, bacon and egg pie from Burkes Bakery in Euroa Apple iPhone 6 with iPhone 6 Plus back camera 4.15mm f/2.2 at 4mm and f/2.2, 1/20sec, ISO 200

Even though I’d been making good progress I was wanting to go to Hides Bakery in Benalla again for a coffee. I was feeling very tired after another poor sleep and thought a stop for some caffiene would help. When I arrived I noticed they’d sold out of vanilla slices but I did see a nice looking coconut and jam slice. I do like a coconut and jam slice. 

Coconut and jam slice from Hides Bakery in Benalla Apple iPhone 6 with iPhone 6 Plus back camera 4.15mm f/2.2 at 4mm and f/2.2, 1/40sec, ISO 40
Coconut and jam slice from Hides Bakery in Benalla Apple iPhone 6 with iPhone 6 Plus back camera 4.15mm f/2.2 at 4mm and f/2.2, 1/40sec, ISO 40

I’m spending the night at the Millers Cottage motor inn in Wangaratta. It’s a budget motel and my guess it has been in operation since at least the 1970s. The decor is 1970s.

I was thinking of finding a restaurant but I felt too tired so I went and found a fast food joint and bought a burger. Yep, Hungry Jacks whopper and onion rings. 

Sunday dinner. Hungry Jacks Whopper and onion rings in Wangaratta. SONY ILCE-7S with FE 24-70mm F4 ZA OSS at 70mm and f/8, 1/80sec, ISO 2500
Sunday dinner. Hungry Jacks Whopper and onion rings in Wangaratta. SONY ILCE-7S with FE 24-70mm F4 ZA OSS at 70mm and f/8, 1/80sec, ISO 2500

So how did you spend your Sunday? I hope it was a good one. Bye for now. 

[googlemaps-photo-gallery]

This is the route I took today.

[sgpx gpx=”/wp-content/uploads/gpx/2014-11-15T210459Z.gpx”]

Check it out 🙂 

A busy weekend in Brisbane and Yatala Pies

I’ve just got home (Canberra) after a busy weekend in Brisbane to see my daughters. May is a big month for us, my father’s birthday is in May, my eldest two daughters both share a birthday in May (two years apart), it’s mothers day in May and my birthday is in May.

I arrived late Friday night and the girls were already in ‘bed’ ready to sleep. They had a big Saturday ahead of them.

On Saturday we got out of bed at 5 am and ate a quick breakfast. I had peanut paste on toast (I didn’t have time for a low carbohydrate meal) while the two youngest ones had Mum’s lemon curd on toast. We had to be on the road by 6.30 am and on our way to Yatala for the QGSSSA Cross Country championships. Athletics is not the favourite sport for Miss13 and Miss17 however, as all rounders they compete in as many sports as possible. The meet is held at Rivermount College which isn’t part of the QGSSSA. The college is at Yatala near the Gold Coast.

Just thinking back a bit, when I arrived Friday night I discovered that a tube of moisturiser (yes I have Ichthyosis) had ‘exploded’ in my bag and the shirt I was going to wear had been ruined. Mum said I should wear one of Dad’s shirts. She also said it would be warm so short sleeves wouldn’t be a problem. I always listen to my mother.

So we arrive at Yatala and it’s cloudy and cold. I’m shivering. Thanks Mum 🙂

The girls run well and enjoy themselves. The next stop is the Sleeman Sports Complex in Chandler. We have to get Miss17 there for gymnastics training. Even though she didn’t make the Queensland team this year she’s allowed to compete at the national championships this week in Melbourne. She has to train at Gymnastics Queensland headquarters in Chandler. Before we get there though, Miss17 suggests a spot of morning tea at Yatala Pies.

Yatala Pies is a bit of an institution in South East Queensland. Their pies are known far and wide. Funnily enough I’ve never eaten in the Yatala Pies shop. This was a first.

https://goo.gl/maps/e4YGs

Miss17 had a curry chicken and vegetable pie, Miss13 had a sausage roll and I elected to have a pasty. It’s been ages since I’ve had a good pasty. This one didn’t disappoint. I loved it.

Yatala pies pasty
Yatala pies pasty

Yatala pies takeaway box.
Yatala pies takeaway box. You can see Miss13’s sausage roll in the background.

Now regulars readers know me so it shouldn’t be any surprise that when I saw Vanilla slice I had to have one. Yatala Pies sells French Vanilla slices with a whopping big layer of French vanilla cream. It was gorgeous.

Yatala Pies French vanilla slice
Yatala Pies French vanilla slice

After a lot of driving back and forth between Chandler and Chermside it was a long tiring day. After getting the kids back to my parents’ place it was time to cook our special May dinner to celebrate so many birthdays and mothers day.

I said to Mum that I wanted to cook salmon and would be wonderful is Miss17 could make a salad. I also made a pumpkin cauliflower mash which I used to smear the plate and perch the salmon on.

Salmon
Salmon

#Dinner is salmon on a smear of pumpkin cauliflower mash with a green salad
#Dinner is salmon on a smear of pumpkin cauliflower mash with a green salad

For dessert, Miss17 had made an ice cream cake. The base was made with Ferrero Rocher, Chocolate Mint and Queensland nut (Macadamia) ice creams. The top had a combination of mixers added to make it a cake to remember.

Miss17 made me a Ferrero rocher, chocolate mint and Queensland nut ice cream cake with heaps of mixers
Miss17 made me a Ferrero rocher, chocolate mint and Queensland nut ice cream cake with heaps of mixers

After dinner we watched The Hunger Games on DVD. I’d never seen it before. It was good.

After a good night’s sleep Miss19 joined us after a busy weekend of working and studying. We had planned a special breakfast together. My daughters and me 🙂 We decided to head to Groove Train at Chermside because it was close and the last time we were there we enjoyed the food.

https://goo.gl/maps/aebPU

I asked for poached eggs with bacon, hollandaise sauce, avocado and mushrooms. It was pretty good.

Poached eggs with bacon, hollandaise sauce, avocado and mushroom on sourdough toast
Poached eggs with bacon, hollandaise sauce, avocado and mushroom on sourdough toast

Miss13 asked for pancakes

Pancake stack with berries and maple syrup
Pancake stack with berries and maple syrup

After breakfast I had to take Miss17 back to Chandler for more training. I said my goodbyes and then caught a flight back to Canberra.

Dinner while watching Master Chef Australia was a nude burger with tomato, bacon and Coon cheese.

Nude Wagyu burger with bacon, tomato and Coon cheese
Nude Wagyu burger with bacon, tomato and Coon cheese

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Hope you had a great weekend and ate YUMMY