Beef Pie Burgers

Beef Pie Burgers

Serves: to serve 4

Prep Time: 10 Minutes + waiting

Cook Time: 25 Minutes

Ready In: 35 mins
+ waiting

ingredients
14 oz - burger mince/beef mince (ground beef)

  - salt and pepper

4 rashers (slices) - smoked streaky bacon (side bacon)

4 tablespoons - chutney (whatever's your favourite!)

4 tablespoons - sliced gherkins<

  - Dijon (or American) mustard

8 slices - Cheddar cheese

2 sheets - ready-rolled puff pastry

1 - egg yolk

  - Sesame seeds

directions
  1. Divide the mince equally into four. Shape into burger patties, season well with salt and freshly-ground black pepper and quickly seal on both sides in a hot frying pan or skillet with just a drop of oil if necessary (about 1 minute on each side - no more). Remove from the pan and allow to cool.
  2. Grill (braise) the bacon gently to your liking and cut each slice into four. On top of each patty, spoon a tablespoon of your favourite chutney (Rich Apple Chutney is good - so is Green Tomato Chutney!) and cover with half a bacon rasher (2 bits). Place one tablespoon of sliced gherkins carefully on top of each patty. Spread a little mustard on four of the cheese slices and lay one on each patty. Add the remaining 2 bits of bacon and the other slice of cheese then rest the patties in the fridge until needed.
  3. Lay out the pastry and, using a bowl that's about double the diameter of your meat patties, cut a disc for each burger (4 discs in total). Then, for each patty, cut a disc about the same size as your meat patty (again, 4 discs in total). Remove the burger stacks from the fridge. Carefully place the larger of the pastry discs over one of the stacks and smooth around the edges and sides (a bit like icing a cake). Trim the bottom so the pastry just overlaps the burger. Brush a smaller disc with egg yolk and place the burger stack over the top so that the disc covers the base of the burger. Seal the two pastry discs together to form a complete envelope and repeat with the other stacks.
  4. Rest in the fridge for 15 minutes until the pastry is firm and cool then place on non-stick baking tray (or covered in non-stick baking paper) and brush all over with egg yolk. Sprinkle sesame seeds over the top and bake in a preheated moderately hot oven (Mk 5 - 375ºF - 190ºC) for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Rest for about 5 minutes before serving.