INGREDIENTS

For the patties:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 brown or white onion, very finely diced
• 2 large cloves garlic, minced
• 500g lean minced free-range beef
• 500g lean minced free-range pork
• 1 tablespoon wholegrain mustard
• 1 tablespoon tabasco or similar hot sauce
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons salted capers, rinsed and finely chopped
• 1 long red chilli, seeds removed, finely chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon dried chilli flakes
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

To serve:

• Lettuce leaves
• Sliced cheese
• Sliced onion
• Tomato relish

Mini brioche:

• 200g unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1.5 tablespoons caster sugar
• 4 free-range eggs
• 600g strong white bread flour
• 1/2 teaspoon instant dried yeast
• 1 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 cup (250ml) whole milk, warmed lightly
• 1 tablespoon low-fat milk
• Handful sesame seeds

METHOD

1. To make the brioche, beat together the butter, sugar and three of the eggs in a large mixing bowl. Add the flour, yeast and salt and stir to combine. Make a well in the centre, then pour in the milk and bring together using your hands; the dough will be quite tacky but refrain from adding any extra flour. Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel and leave in a warm spot for 2 hours or until doubled in size. Punch your fist into the centre of the risen dough, then knead it gently for a minute or two on a lightly floured worktop. Flour your hands and form twelve individual balls of dough, each just a little larger than a walnut. Place them on a floured baking tray and again cover with a damp tea towel. Leave to rise for another hour. Preheat the oven to 180 ̊C fan-forced. Mix the remaining egg with the extra tablespoon of milk, and brush the buns generously with this mixture, then sprinkle the tops with sesame seeds. Bake for 20–30 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat, add the onion and fry gently for 3 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for a further 5 minutes until the onion is softened. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the onion to cool for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, place the beef, pork, mustard, Tabasco/hot sauce, balsamic vinegar, capers, chilli flakes, chilli, parsley, 1 teaspoon sea salt and some black pepper in a large mixing bowl and combine thoroughly using your hands. Add the cooled onion and garlic and mix together.
3. Form the mixture into about 12 small individual patties ~ I use a 1/3 cup measure (4 tablespoons) for this. Place the patties on a baking tray and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours, before cooking to your liking on a hot BBQ/chargrill pan or in a frying pan.
4. Serve the patties in the mini brioche buns with some lettuce, cheese, sliced onion and tomato relish. Secure with toothpicks and accompany with extra relish on the side if you like.