The Big Mac – Made at Home – View From The Office: by Tommy Traveler

Halifax, Canada

I have 2 vivid memories as a young boy ! The first time my mother took me to Tim Hortons (it’s a Canadian thing) after a 7 am Saturday morning hockey practice for my first donut when Tim Horton was still alive. Yes donuts for breakfast, it’s the late 60’s now and then my first trip to MacDonald’s when a Big Mac was 65 cents and fast food was a special treat and occasion. Though the fast food world has changed since then and I rarely go to the golden arches anymore I do love making Big Macs at home from scratch! It’s rather easy and time in the kitchen is never wasted! So here’s the recipe and me being me I’m always tweaking things to find the perfect taste. First the special sauce!

The base is always the same with mayo, mustard, ketchup, diced pickles or relish, minced onions, sugar and salt.

Special Sauce

1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tbsp mustard
1 tsp ketchup
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
4 tsp diced pickles (or relish)
1 tbsp minced onion

Mix all together in a bowl and let stand in fridge to blend flavors. You can vary amounts to your personal taste. Explore!

Next up the patties!

Pretty simple with minced beef or as we call it ground beef, salt and onion powder or I like to use minced onions on occasion. Rolled thin between plastic wrap, cut out slightly larger then your buns and thin is the key as flash fry is the secret to keeping them juicy. I use a glass from my cupboard and let the burger rest to room temperature before frying. Meat always cooks better relaxed and room temperature. Flash fry in a smoking hot pan 1 min per side or until 160 degrees internal temperature. We don’t like rare burgers here in Canada. Don’t over cook or you’ll have a dry cow patty Big Mac!

Patties

1 lb of minced beef of your choice
salt to taste
onion powder or minced onions to taste

Roll thin and shape slightly larger then buns.Let rest and flash fry in a super hot pan 1 min per side. (160 degrees internal)

At This Point

You should have had your real russet potato fries cooking in the pan so they are crispy on the outside and creamy soft inside. I love my fries at home and you’d think they are deep fried not saute!

Lettuce should be shredded, pickles sliced, onions minced and sesame seed buns ready.