WAGYU & MACARONI BURGER

Mac patty:

• 500g Cooked elbow macaroni
• 100g butter
• 100g baker’s flour
• 2tbs salt
• 3tsp pepper
• 1L milk
• 150g Parmesan cheese, grated
• 150g cooking cream
• 1tbs Dijon mustard
• 250g panko breadcrumbs
• 5 eggs
• 4tbs milk
• 250g plain flour

Bacon jam:

• 500g thick cut bacon
• 70g brown onion, sliced
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 30mL espresso
• 1tbs balsamic vinegar
• 3tsp bourbon
• 2tbs maple syrup

Wagyu beef patties:

• 800g ground wagyu beef mince
• 200g wagyu beef fat
• 3tsp salt

• Burger buns
• Hi-melt cheese
• McClure pickles
• Sliced tomatoes
• Whole leaf lettuce
• batch No.5 free range aioli

To make the Mac patty:

1. Start by making the béchamel sauce. In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium to high heat until it starts foaming.
2. Add the baker’s flour and stir-cook for 1 to 2 minutes.
3. Remove the saucepan from the heat and gradually whisk in the milk until the mixture becomes smooth.
4. Return the saucepan to the heat and cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the sauce comes to a boil. The sauce should thicken and coat the back of a wooden spoon.
5. Take the saucepan off the heat and stir in the 1.5tbs salt and pepper.
6. Allow the béchamel sauce to cool, then transfer it to containers and place a sheet of baking paper over the surface to prevent a skin from forming.
7. In a large mixing bowl, combine cooked pasta, 1kg béchamel sauce, Parmesan cheese, cooking cream and Dijon mustard and mix thoroughly. Season the mixture with salt.
8. Line a baking tray with baking paper and evenly spread the mixture into it.
9. Bake at 180˚C for 12 minutes, then allow it to set (press) in the refrigerator.
10. Once the macaroni slab is set, use a ring cutter to cut it into patty-sized portions.
11. Set up a crumbing station and coat the mac patties with egg, milk, flour and breadcrumbs.
12. Pre-heat deep fryer to 180˚C and cook the mac patties until golden brown.

To make the bacon jam:

1. Finely dice the bacon and add it to a large frying pan. (Don't worry if the bacon pieces stick together; they will separate as they cook.)
2. Cook the bacon over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until it is cooked but still quite chewy (a few crispy bits are okay).
3. Using a slotted spoon to drain the oil, remove the bacon from the pan and set it aside. Keep one tablespoon of the bacon drippings and reserve the rest for another use.
4. Add the onions to the pan and cook for about 8-10 minutes.
5. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the sugar.
6. Continue cooking until the onions have caramelized, about 10 minutes.
7. Increase the heat to medium and add the espresso coffee, ½ cup of water, and the bacon to the pan.
8. Cook the mixture, stirring every five minutes, until the onions are thick and jam-like, approximately 30 minutes.
9. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the balsamic vinegar.
10. Season with salt to taste.

To make the wagyu beef patties:

1. In a mixing bowl, combine beef mince, beef fat and salt. Mix until well combined.
2. Shape the mixture into burger patties, aiming for approximately 160 grams each.
3. Grill patties until cooked

To assemble the burger:

1. Start with a lightly toasted buttered bun as the base of the burger.
2. Spread bacon jam evenly over the base of the bun.
3. Place the mac patty on top of the bacon jam. Melt Hi-melt cheese on the mac patty.
4. Add the Wagyu patty on top of the mac patty. Melt Swiss cheese on the Wagyu patty.
5. Layer McClure pickles and sliced tomato onto the burger.
6. Finish by adding whole leaf lettuce.
7. Finally, top it off with the other half of the bun, slathered with batch No.5 aioli.