BACON, PINEAPPLE AND SWEET CHILLI BURGER

Happy Heritage Day 2016 South Africa! Try our bacon, pineapple and sweet chilli burger BRAAI RECIPE in celebration of braai day!

Thanks to Braai Recipes for the great recipe!

WHAT YOU NEED (feeds 4)

FOR THE SWEET CHILLI SAUCE

• 5 chillies (any type or a combination, with a few extra on standby)
• 2 cloves garlic (crushed or chopped)
• 1/2 cup cider vinegar (or rice vinegar or white grape vinegar)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1/2 tot cornflour mixed with 1/2 tot water

FOR THE BURGER

• 1 kg beef mince (buy steak and mince at home or ask your butcher)
• 4 hamburger rolls
• salt and pepper (freshly ground)
• 1 packet streaky bacon (250 g)
• 1 pineapple (peeled and sliced into rings)
• butter (for the rolls)
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese (grated)
• salad leaves tomato (sliced)

WHAT TO DO

MAKE THE SWEET CHILLI SAUCE

1. Chop the chillies finely. If you don’t want too much burn in the sauce, remove some or all of the seeds. If you like it hot, leave the seeds in. If you think the chillies you have are quite mild, use more than 5 chillies. If you think the chillies you have are particularly potent, use your common sense and good luck!
2. Throw the chopped chillies, garlic, vinegar, water, sugar, salt and soy sauce into a small flameproof pan or potjie, then stir well and bring to a simmer over some coals or a few flames. Naturally this can also be done on a stove.
3. Simmer for about 6 minutes, until the sugar has dissolved completely; the exact time will obviously depend on your coals or flames.
4. Mix the half tot of cornflour with a half tot of water in a suitable cup, glass or mug. Add the cornflour mixture to the sauce and stir until the sauce gets thicker. This will take about 1 minute.
5. The sauce is now ready. Remove from the fire, let it cool slightly while you braai the meat and then serve.

MAKE THE BURGER

1. Form the mince into 4 evenly sized patties with your hands and flatten out.
2. When you braai the patties, the biggest challenge is keeping them in one piece. Put them down very gently on the grid, do not press on them, do not handle them any more than is necessary, and turn them with extreme care. Start on very high heat to seal them quickly, hopefully before they have the chance to ‘sink’ into the grid. Braai for about 8 minutes in total. Once on each side during that time is enough. As the meat starts to cook it releases fat and juices and usually loosens itself from the grid. Season the patties with a grind of salt and pepper while they are braaing.
3. While the patties are braaing, also place the bacon on your grid and braai until crispy. Also braai the pineapple slices for 5 minutes on each side so that they caramelise and sweeten.
4. As the elements on the grid become ready, remove and use that empty space on the braai grid to toast the insides of the rolls after you’ve buttered them.
5. Assemble the burger with your freshly homemade sweet chilli sauce as the crowing glory.

Source: http://braai.com/braai-recipes/