A.D.I.P’s Lettuce Wrap Burger

We join Jesse Jenkin’s (A.D.I.P) in creating a 70’s Californian classic…the delectable ‘protein style’ burger as the perfect fakeaway dish for you and your friends.

A ‘protein style’ burger means you have a burger wrapped in lettuce instead of a bun. The reason for it’s nickname is because you are essentially getting a burger without the carbs (from the bun), and instead you have a burger patty wrapped in shell of iceberg lettuce…more protein and less carbs! It’s believed that McDonald’s heightened this trend in Australia, where they added the lettuce wrapped burgers as part of their Create Your Taste Menu.

1. Mould 2 burger patties in to lose balls. Try not to overwork them as they can become rubbery. Jesse likes to season the top of his meat about 5 minutes before searing, giving the salt time to adhere to the meat. A note – avoid mixing the salt through the meat, this also results in a rubbery texture.
2. Add the butter and a splash of oil to a pan on medium heat. Sauté thinly sliced or diced white onions until soft and translucent – around 5 minutes. Add a pinch of Maldon Salt, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and a splash of water. Cook until the water is gone and set aside.
3. Thinly slice red onion and tomatoes. Jesse likes to season his tomatoes with a small pinch of Maldon salt a few minutes before building the burger.
4. For the sauce – mince the sautéed onions, and pickles before mixing them with the mayonnaise, mustard, tomato paste, and pickle juice. A few twists of black pepper is a welcome addition here.
5. In a lightly oiled hot pan, smash the burger patties down using a small square of parchment paper – this helps achieves maximum contact with the pan and crispy edges. Weigh the burger down with the back of a spatula, another pan, or a chef’s press as I’ve used in the video. Once a good sear has formed, flip and add the cheese. After about a minute, turn off the heat and cover with a lid and a drop of water to create some steam – after about 30 seconds you should have some very melty cheese and a tender burger with a golden sear.
6. Pick the large outer leaves of an iceberg head and lay them out like a big flower. Jesse likes to start his build with sauce, then burger, adding sautéed onions, red onion, and tomato.
7. Fold the edges all around and create a parcel.
8. Enjoy!