Burger Machine

One of the many things we invariably miss about the Philippines when we moved to Australia was the food. We miss the home cooking, the Pinoy restaurants and even just being able to afford dining out many times a week. Eating out here is not cheap and is something we don't really do very often.

It's not just the upscale restaurants we miss but even the cheap ones. Especially the cheap ones! One of those experiences I look back on was the simple pleasures of eating at a Burger Machine. Burger Machine stands were all over the place back in Manila. They would almost always be located in street corners or main traffic intersections. Sure, their burgers weren't probably all beef, and maybe the carbon monoxide from the passing traffic contributed to the uniqueness of the experience but I sure do miss those burgers.

They were cheap, and a quick feed. I remember grabbing a BM burger for lunch on the weekends on my way out of the Quezon City apartment I used to live in. It was quick and it was cheap and yes, it was tasty!

This weekend we cooked up a close approximation of the BM burger. I find that a topping of coleslaw and banana ketchup on a pure beef burger tastes almost like the real BM thing.

Mixing minced beef and chopped onions together with a dash of Worcestershire and Maggi Seasoning makes a good wholesome beef patty. Frying the patties up and serving them on a soft Aussie damper roll with store bought coleslaw and UFC banana ketchup makes me feel like I'm sitting in one of those Burger Machine stands all over again. Less the traffic and pollution, of course.

But, I admit, the Burger Machine burger never looked as big or as good as this.