Shame on my wife for turning a good burger thread into a vegetarian crusade!
... we had burgers last night from our local takeaway ... mine a big greasy beef burger and she had a veggie burger pattie. Guess whose tasted like crap!
Seriously, though ... it is possible to find good burgers in this country and I've often thought it has to do with the difference between what we call "ground beef" in the US and what they call "minced beef" over here.
True, it's still hit and miss. I usually get a burger I really like about 3 times out of 10 in this country nowadays, which is a higher ratio now that I know what to look for. But my first year over here was dreadful -- the only even "decent" burger I got was at McDonalds!
Things are looking up --
Ground beef is a bit more coursely chopped, which makes it a bit juicier when turned into burger patties. What you get in the UK is usually a smoother texture and results in burgers that look and taste a bit funny to Americans.
Ask your butcher for ground beef -- if they know what it is. You can also ask them to grind the "mince" finer or courser depending on their settings and what the meat looks like at the counter. They can also "cross-grind" the mince after it's been through the machine a couple of times -- that can give more of the texture that we're familiar with in the States. Depending on your preference, remember the ground beef we get in the States often has added fat content. You want to try to find minced beef with a similar fat content to what you like.
You can get good ones at the supermarkets in the UK if you look carefully though. I always look for Angus Aberdeen beef or Welsh beef. Marks & Spencers sell packaged hamburger patties of Aberdeen Angus beef and they are fantastic for the bbq or even the indoor grill. I highly recommend them, they suit this American's palate!
The best option, though is to try to get minced beef from a local farmer. Some farms even deliver their beef to all parts of the UK, and if you can find one it's well worth the effort. Last year Liz and I went to a food fair here in Canterbury and one of the exhibitors was a company called Wild Beef Company from Devon -- I bought some minced beef there and made burgers from it and they were probably the best burgers I've ever had. Their phone number is 01647 433433, they sell beef by phone order.
As for restaurants, excellent burgers in London at Hamburger Union, Fine Burger Co., Gourmet Burger Kitchen, etc. as mentioned above. And a super burger at a pub called the Rose in Essex Road, Islington.
