There's nothing quite like the comfort of a family-friendly takeaway meal and this one's a classic.

Recipes & Styling Natalie Homan | Photographs Brendan Homan

Classic burger
makes 8

1kg chuck steak, minced*
sea salt & cracked black pepper
4 tbsp vegetable oil
8 slices Monterey Jack
24 slices gherkin
1 salad onion, finely diced
2 large tomatoes, sliced
8 iceberg lettuce leaves, chopped
tomato sauce

for buns
500g potatoes, peeled and diced
350g bread flour
1 tbsp sugar
2 tsp yeast
1 tsp salt
40g butter, room temperature
100ml potato cooking water
1 egg
40g melted butter
1 egg white, lightly whisked with 1 tbsp water
4 tsp sesame seeds

for burger sauce
½ cup Kewpie mayonnaise
¼ cup American mustard
1 tbsp gherkin juice
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp paprika

Cook potatoes in boiling salted water until tender. Strain, retaining 100ml of cooking water and allowing potatoes to steam in the pot over medium heat until dry. Mash potatoes and place in the bowl of a stand mixer along with the flour, sugar, yeast and salt. Mix with paddle attachment until incorporated. Add butter, potato water and egg and mix until dough forms. Switch attachment to the dough hook and knead on low speed for 10 minutes. Lightly coat bowl and dough ball in oil, cover bowl with clingfilm and allow to prove for 30 minutes. Place dough on a floured bench and divide into 8 pieces. Roll into balls and place onto large tray lined with baking paper. Press down on the balls with your palm to flatten until 3cm thick. Cover with clingfilm and prove for a further 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 190C. Gently brush buns with melted butter followed by egg white mix. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for 12-15 minutes.  Allow to cool on a wire rack. Mix ingredients for sauce in a small bowl. Divide beef mince into 8 equal portions and form into patties 1cm larger in diameter than the buns (a round pastry cutter will help to form uniform patties). Heat a large, heavy-based frypan over high heat and preheat oven grill. Season patties with salt and pepper. Add 2 tbsp oil and 4 patties to the pan. Cook for 3 minutes on each side. Repeat with remaining patties. Slice buns in half and lightly toast under grill. Place cheese slices on patties and place on a tray and grill to melt cheese. To assemble, place patties and cheese on base of bun. Top with 3 gherkin slices and a sprinkle of diced onion. Follow with tomato slices and lettuce. Finally, apply burger and tomato sauces to underside of burger bun lid and place on top to complete burger.

*Ask your butcher to coarsely mince the chuck steak twice to ensure tenderness.

This article first appeared in the April 2023 issue of SALIFE magazine.