Indulge in this delicious beef burger, paired with Fairview Mourvèdre 2009.

• 500 g lean beef mince
• 1 large egg
• 1 small slice of bread, finely crumbed
• generous amount of salt and pepper (at least 1 t salt and 1/2 t pepper)
• oil for frying (I used Canola oil)
• ½ cup of store-bought spare rib sauce or barbecue sauce
• 3 or 4 hamburger buns
• one block Fairview Traditional Brie
• sliced preserved green figs (in syrup)
• lettuce leaves, tomato slices

Method:

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine mince, egg, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper. Mix well with a clean hand.
2. Lay out a sheet of plastic wrap on a flat surface. Put meat mixture on top, and press down to flatten slightly. Cover with another sheet of plastic wrap, then roll out evenly with a rolling pin to a thickness of about 15 mm.
3. Remove top layer of plastic wrap, then use a large round cookie cutter or dessert bowl to cut out rounds of about 12-15 cm in diameter. They will look completely oversized, but they shrink quite a lot while cooking! Remove the meat mixture in-between the patties, then cut out the plastic around each pattie – it is easier to handle individually this way.
4. Heat some oil in a large pan over moderately high heat. Frying one or 2 patties at a time, transfer them to the pan (I put them in the pan facing downwards, then peel off the plastic from the tops immediately). Fry on each side until charred but still juicy inside, basting with spare rib sauce.
5. In the meantime, butter the buns, then toast them in a dry pan over moderate heat until golden brown.
6. Assemble the burger, starting with bun, leaves, tomato, then the well-basted pattie and FairviewTraditional Brie. Pop under a grill for 30 seconds to melt the cheese, then top with figs and the top half of the bun. Serve immediately with fries or a baked potato!