I serve this dish with French fries or mousseline potatoes and green beans or a green salad. To fully appreciate the flavour of the meat, it’s best not to serve condiments or a sauce – but that’s up to you…
600g (1lb 5oz) beef steak (preferably rump or sirloin), trimmed of all sinews and fat
salt and freshly ground pepper
60ml (¼ cup) groundnut oil or clarified butter (see Scrambled eggs ‘magda’ on fried bread)
4 medium eggs
softened butter, to fry
Mince the beef through the fine grill of a mincer or, better still, chop it with a knife as finely as possible. Season with salt and pepper. Place an 8 cm (3¼in) plain pastry cutter on a piece of cling film (plastic wrap) and put one-quarter of the meat in the middle. Flatten it with the back of a spoon, then carefully lift off the cutter. Repeat to make another 3 steak burgers.
Heat the oil or clarified butter in a frying pan or griddle pan. Put in the burgers and fry over a high heat for 1 – 2 minutes on each side to seal them, then reduce the heat and cook until done to your liking. A rare burger will take 3 – 4 minutes; cook for another 2 – 3 minutes for medium.
At the same time, fry the eggs in a buttered non-stick frying pan until cooked to your liking (see Fried eggs). Trim to neat rounds, using a 5 cm (2in) plain pastry cutter.
Using a palette knife, carefully place a fried egg on each steak burger. Transfer to plates and serve at once.
