Old-School Burger, But with a Twist!

Preparations:

Use ground beef, preferably from the (butcher) shop. Ground beef is tastier and healthier than other types of minced meat. Let the meat come to room temperature before preparing and grilling.

What to do with your KLAUWE:

Fire up your KLAUWE and bring the temperature to about 175 to 200 degrees Celsius.

For this dish, we will grill indirectly, so arrange the coals on one side of the fire basket. You can also push the coals to one side once they’re burning.

When lighting your KLAUWE, you need more oxygen initially, so open the air vents at the front and back completely. (After lighting the fire, close the rear vent completely.) The front vent stays open during lighting and is where you fine-tune the temperature of your KLAUWE.

If the fire needs a heat boost, briefly open the rear vent. Keep the vent in the lid half open. (This depends on how the temperature behaves. More air means more fire, resulting in a higher temperature, and vice versa. Once the fire is burning, control it with the front vent.)

Leave the lid off the KLAUWE and let the fire do its job.

Moving on to your ingredients:

Slice the red and green chili peppers lengthwise and remove the seeds. Use half of each pepper and chop them into tiny pieces.

Put the ground beef in a bowl, season with salt and pepper, and add the chopped peppers. Mix well.

Dice the ripe mangoes and put them in a small saucepan. Add 30 milliliters of water and 1.5 tablespoons of brown sugar. Cook over low heat, stirring frequently, until the sugar caramelizes and the mango becomes soft and slightly browned. Then, turn off the heat.

Form 12 thin, flat patties. Place a generous spoonful of the mango mixture on six of the patties. Then, cover them with the remaining six patties, pressing the edges to seal them well.

Peel the red onions and slice them into thin rings.

Slice the tomatoes into thin slices. These will be added to your burgers later.

Cut the sesame buns in half. These will be briefly grilled later.

Back to your KLAUWE:

When the coals are hot and the highest flames have died down, move the fire basket with the lifting hook (and barbecue gloves) to the third level (from the top). We will be grilling indirectly, so the coals should be on one side of the fire basket.

Place the grill grate on the second level (from the top). Put the lid on your KLAUWE. (We’re grilling without a water ring and without a water tray.)

Keep the air vents at the front and back somewhat open. Watch where the temperature goes. The goal is around 175 to 200 degrees Celsius. If the temperature exceeds this range, adjust the air vents. Close the rear vent completely. If the temperature continues to rise, close the front vent slightly. Eventually, you can fine-tune the temperature with the front vent. If the temperature is too low, open the front vent more (and possibly the rear vent as well). If the temperature is too high, close the front vent slightly.

Take your time with this. The temperature needs to stabilize. Do this, of course, with a suitable drink in hand.

And then?:

When the temperature is stable, place the six stuffed burgers on the hot grate of your KLAUWE, not directly over the fire but beside it (indirect grilling).

Let the burgers cook on the grate without moving them too soon to avoid sticking. Keep the lid on your KLAUWE between turns. Towards the end, add slices of cheddar cheese to the burgers (the cheese should melt nicely). The internal temperature of the burgers should reach 70 degrees Celsius. (If you don't have a thermometer, cook for about 7 minutes total.)

Lastly, briefly grill the sliced sesame buns. Be careful not to burn them, as it can happen quickly.

The finishing touch:

The final step is "building" your burger. Start with the bottom half of your bun and layer it with some (iceberg) lettuce, followed by a slice (or slices) of tomato and a few onion rings. Then place your "stuffed" burger with cheddar cheese on top. Finally, add a few sandwich pickles on your burger.

For extra flavor, you can add a bit of ketchup and/or mayonnaise to taste.

Bon appétit and remember: Eat with your KLAUWE and Impress Your Friends!