Banh mi camel burger

Despite the brutish appearance of the animal, camel meat is surprisingly delicate, with a flavour similar to veal. It’s also very lean, so mixing ground meat with minced hump fat is necessary to produce a good burger patty. You could substitute fatty beef mince for this banh mi recipe instead.

• serves

  4

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  10 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 1 small daikon radish, cut into very thin matchsticks (see Note)
• 1 carrot, cut into very thin matchsticks
• 2 tbsp sea salt flakes
• 250 ml (1 cup) white vinegar
• 250 ml (1 cup) water
• 55 g (¼ cup) white sugar
• 750 g fatty camel mince (25% hump fat, see Note)
• 2 red radishes, very thinly sliced
• 1 small Lebanese cucumber, peeled at intervals, very thinly sliced
• ½ red onion, very thinly sliced
• ½ cup mint leaves
• ½ cup coriander leaves
• vegetable oil spray
• 4 burger buns, such as brioche
• Kewpie mayonnaise and Sriracha chilli sauce, to serve (see Note)

Standing time 10 minutes

Chilling time 30 minutes

Instructions

To make the Vietnamese pickle, mix the daikon, carrot and 1 tbsp sea salt flakes in a bowl until well combined. Set aside for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the vinegar and water in a jug. Add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Drain and squeeze out as much liquid as possible from the carrot and daikon, then add the pickling liquid, stirring to combine. Chill in the fridge for at least a further 30 minutes. 

Meanwhile, place the camel mince into a large bowl, season with the remaining 1 tbsp salt, and mix well to combine. Mould the mince into 4 burger patties and place on a tray. Chill in the fridge for 20 minutes. 

For the herb salad combine the red radish, cucumber, onion and herbs in a bowl and mix well. 

Heat a grill plate over high heat and lightly brush with oil. Cook the burgers for about 4 minutes each side or until cooked to your liking. 

Toast the buns and spread with mayonnaise and Sriracha, then top with the burgers, the Vietnamese pickle and the salad.

Note
• You can purchase camel mince from Middle Eastern butchers.

• Daikon, Kewpie mayonnaise and Sriracha are available from Asian grocers and select supermarkets.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.