The best thing about burger night, apart from the burgers themselves of course, is how many options you have. No matter what food preferences or allergies you have, there are so many easy creative options, so no one misses out. On the Lodge Sportsman pro cast iron grill we have made an OG cheeseburger with a twist, but swap out the patty for a marinated portabello mushroom or a crumbed eggplant patty and use vegan mayo, and this easily turns into plant-based perfection. Add pickled jalapeños or some hot sauce for a kick, or even double the patties up for the big eaters. Trust us, you and your guests will be amazed with how these simple flavours work together in harmony to create magic!

INGREDIENTS:

Patties

• 800g high fat content mince - not lean

• ½ cup pecorino cheese finely grated
• salt and pepper to taste

Eggplant Mac Sauce

• 2 eggplants cut into small cubes

• 5 garlic cloves chopped roughly
• 2 tsp sugar
• 2 tsp white vinegar
• 3 tsp mayonnaise
• 1 squirt tomato sauce
• 2 tsp wholegrain mustard 
• salt and pepper to taste

Burger Filling

• 4 burger buns

• 4 swiss cheese slices
• 4 smoked cheese slices
• 1 red onion, sliced
• fresh lettuce leaves rinsed
• pickles

METHOD:

Pattie

1. Hand mix your patty ingredients together in a large mixing bowl until consistent. Roll into 4x pool-ball sized balls and let rest.

Eggplant Mac Sauce

1. Add chopped eggplant to a colander and cover with salt. Let sit for 5 minutes or so, until water droplets form on the outside of the flesh. Rinse, dry, and add to a large Lodge cast iron skillet with enough oil to cover the bottom. After 2 minutes on a medium-high heat, add garlic and sauté until the eggplant starts to get mushy. You will notice the eggplant soaks up the oil, so you may need to add small amounts as it cooks. Season with salt and pepper. Add the sugar. Once the sugar has dissolved, add the vinegar. When the mixture has turned to a thick, mushy paste, take off the heat. Add mayonnaise, tomato sauce, and the wholegrain mustard and mix.

    

Cooking and Assembling 

1. Start by preparing your charcoals in the Lodge Sportsman Pro Grill using either a charcoal chimney starter or build a fire in the grill and add the charcoals on top, heating until they are white-hot. 
2. To press the patties, simply place a ball of patty mix on a chopping board, and squash with the Lodge cast iron burger press, pressing down hard to compact burger meat into the patty shape.
3. Add the patties to the grill, flipping when brown on one side, about 3-4 minutes. Once flipped, add one slice each of swiss and smoked cheese, and cover with a metal bowl and cook for a further 3 minutes. Once the patties are cooked, remove from heat and let rest. While the grill is still hot, toast burger buns on cut side until slightly browned.
4. Now, the fun part – building the burger any way you want. On the bottom of the bun, spread a thick layer of eggplant mac sauce, then add lettuce leaves. Add the cooked burger patty, sliced red onions, pickles, and then another layer of eggplant mac sauce on the topside of the bun.