Homemade Burger With Homemade Charcoal Bread

Many of you following knows my love for burgers. With the current "trend" that has seen the mushrooming of these "gourmet" burger that has people lining up to 40minutes to get their bite, I still have my reservation on just how "healthy" they are. I know I am often critical (and loud) with my conviction of healthy eating and I am often driven by a simple rule - Do You Know What Goes Into Your Food?
There were many instances that these homemade burgers were made at home here, here and here. As i progresses and eating healthier, the ingredient and the marinated changes with the same  delicious outcome. Today's entry will showcase the newest edition. 
What You Need (serves four)
500grams of lean minced beef from market. I am particular about fat content and happy that the butcher (in TTDI wet market) had a fat less mince meat.

I know, I am boring. Some of you will say "Meat with no fat?, Is that nice?"

One onion, diced.
One clove of garlic, diced. Add more if you like your meat to be stronger.
Some seasoning - and my favourite is the trusted "black and white" aka Salt and Pepper.
Some sesame seeds, as I happen to have some at home.

All ready

I have always love the bittersweet taste of blackstrap molasses and decided to add a spoonful or two onto this mix.

Shiny Black Bittersweet Goodness.

Mix everything in the bowl with your hands to ensure that all the ingredient are thoroughly mixed. You can of course use a fork to do this, but nothing beats getting your hands (washed of course) dirty. Once the mixture is done, set it aside and let it sit for at least 4-hours in a fridge.

Into the fridge it goes!

The burger patty was meant to be eaten two Sunday ago. Then wifey met with an accident while cycling and the "date" with two friends has to be postponed. I proceed to transfer the mixture into an airtight container and placed it in the freezer. Yesterday, the two friends came over for brunch and the patty was defrosted a day before and left in the fridge. What i did was to break the patty into equal amount and roll them up to about the size of a (smaller) tennis ball. A grill pan was heated up and the burger patty were placed onto the hot pan and flattened to about an three-quarter of an inch thickness. 

Sizzling on the pan.

Meanwhile, we made a fresh batch of bread. This time, with all the hype about Bamboo Charcoal Bread, we decided to make one to "stay in trend". Honestly, Bamboo charcoal bread is nothing more than an over-glorified normal bread with well...bamboo charcoal.

With butter melting on soft warm bread...

The blackness of the bread is dependent on the amount of bamboo charcoal one put into the recipe. I put in two teaspoon and it turned out as black as it should be. Awesome. Taste wise, it taste like bread. Nutrition wise - do not take charcoal bread with any medication!
We cut up some fresh vegetables to be eaten either as salad or wrapped with the burger. Lettuce need to be sliced thinly for that messy look. While waiting for the patty to cook, I whipped up some  mushroom cooked in milk, salt, pepper, dry herbs and soya sauce to be used as topping. It is easy cooking as one just need to lightly cook the button mushrooms and keep it aside.

Grilled pan has to be HOT else you would not get the grilled look

Once the all the items were ready, it is matter of stacking them all up. We added a slice of cheese to each serving and the heat of the burger melted it perfectly.

How Doc Pui San like them. The Mushroom was superb - but that was my own opinion (on my own cooking)

Almost there!

Top up the burger with the fresh vegetable and finally, add one more slice of charcoal bread and you get the signature-to-die-for Burger.

Doc Azman call this "The Darth Vader".

How awesome was it? Lets just said no words were used to describe it and it was just very silent eating with moans of satisfaction from all at the table.

I Am Your Fadder!

My photo did no justice to the burger. Azman took it really well and more appetisingly done. Here, from his Instagram.

A big Bite, Now!

Estimated calories per serving is about 500kcal and this is based on the quarter pound of lean beef (220kcal) with each slice of bread to be circa 90kcal (180kcal if you take two) and the rest of the items make the balance of the calories. There is absolutely no oil used except the pure butter on the bread. If this is awesome, share the recipe out, the world can be a better place with better (and healthier) eating!