How to Make Gastropub Burgers From Scratch

Most gastropubs offer burgers and usually have a pretty good lineup of local craft beers to pair with. In this post, I show you how to create your own gastro burgers from scratch. As an added bonus I include our favourite finishing touches that make your burger look and taste like a burger right out of a feature in TorontoLife magazine.

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What is a Gastropub?

A gastropub is a pub, tavern, or restaurant specializing in serving high-quality food and alcoholic beverages. The term is believed to have been coined in Britain in the ’90s, however, according to wiki the oldest Gastropub is said to be Spinnakers Brew Pub which opened its doors in 1984 in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.

One of our favourite date night outings is to go for dinner and drinks at a gastropub. Living in Toronto we have many to chose from. Some of our favourites include Indie Alehouse, Morgan’s on the Danforth, and the Granite Brewery. Side note – we got married at the back of the Granite on December 28th, 2014, and go back every year in December for a visit.

The secret to Juicy Burgers

1. Don’t overcook the burgers, which can dry out the meat
2. Place burgers on a heated grill, flipping over only once (same concept when cooking a steak).
3. Don’t press down on your burger patty. This along with flipping them to often causes more juices to escape.
4. Add oil, Worchester sauce or some of your favourite BBQ sauce to the meat before mixing.

Recommended Tools to Making the Burger Patties

Disclosure: I only recommend products I would use myself and all opinions expressed here are my own. This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you.

• Hamburger Tray
• Burger Press with 8 Dividers

Burger Ingredient Roundup

• 4 lbs ground beef (can use 1/2 ground pork)
• 1/4 onion, chopped finely
• 1 tbsp minced garlic (or 3 cloves chopped)
• 2 tbsp ground flax seed
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp cumin (this is the secrete to giving these burgers their unique gourmet flavour)
• 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper

Optional: to kickup the flavour and moisture content, add 1 tbsp of one of the following ingredients:

• Olive or avocado oil
• Worchester sauce
• Your favourite BBQ sauce

Making Burgers from Scratch in 3 Simple Steps

1. In a bowl, add all ingredients, mix well with your hands.

2. Shape meat into 16 patties, roughly 1/4 lb each. If shaping by hand, place parchment or wax paper between each patty to prevent them from sticking together.

3. Freeze in airtight containers for up to 3 to 4 months.

Finishing Touches

Below are our suggested toppings to get that gastropub finishing touch.

• Caramelized onions
• Sliced avocado
• Smoked sliced cheese, or any sliced cheese on your liking
• Bacon
• Mixed greens
• Garlic mayo (mix some garlic powder into mayonnaise)
• Sautéed mushrooms
• Sourdough buns (I love Farmhouse on Boone’s sourdough bun recipe best)
• Artisan buns
• Make it Keto / Low Carb diet-friendly by skipping the bun or using a large piece of lettuce as the bun instead

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