Burger Patties - Wagyu F1 x Angus

The Beef: This is 100% grass-fed F1 Wagyu, a first-cross of Full-blood Wagyu over Angus, raised for superior quality and grown with a deep respect for the land. The F1 cross is the sweet spot: it takes the Wagyu's fine intramuscular marbling and pairs it with the Angus frame and the deep, beefy flavour Australian cattle are known for. In a burger, that marbling is everything. It's what keeps the patty juicy and gives it that rich, almost buttery bite.

The Cut: These patties are made from Wagyu trim drawn from across the whole animal, the flavourful offcuts from the chuck, brisket and plate that sit beside the steaks. Using the whole beast is how we honour it, and it also happens to make a better burger: a blend of hard-working muscles gives you real beef flavour, and the Wagyu fat brings the richness. Nothing else is needed. Just beef, pressed and ready for the grill.

How to Cook It: Take the patties out of the fridge 15–20 minutes before cooking. Season both sides generously with salt just before they hit the heat, not earlier, or the salt starts to firm up the meat. Get a cast iron pan, flat plate or grill properly hot.

Cook for 3–4 minutes on the first side without moving it, until a deep crust forms and the edges start to colour. Flip once and give it another 2–3 minutes. If you're adding cheese, lay it on straight after the flip and cover the pan for the last minute so it melts.

Grass-fed F1 Wagyu fat renders at a lower temperature than grain-fed, so these cook a touch faster and give up more juice into the pan. Don't press them down with the spatula; every bit of fat you squeeze out is flavour you've lost.

Aim for 65–70°C internal for a cooked-through burger with a blush of pink at the centre, then rest for 2 minutes before it goes in the bun.

Tips

• Make a small dimple in the centre with your thumb before cooking. It stops the patty doming up as it cooks.
• Toast the bun in the rendered fat left in the pan. You won't go back.
• Keep the toppings honest. Good cheese, pickles, onion and a sharp sauce let the beef do the talking.
• Cook straight from frozen if you need to. Lower the heat a little and add a few minutes each side.

A Little History: The hamburger has a dozen origin stories, from German sailors bringing Hamburg-style minced beef to New York, to county fair cooks in Texas, Wisconsin and Connecticut all claiming the first one put in a bun. What's certain is that by the early 20th century it had become America's great democratic meal, and it travelled the world from there. In Australia it picked up beetroot, pineapple and a fried egg along the way and became something entirely our own. The best burgers have always started the same way: good beef, a hot plate and nothing to hide behind.