Declining standards?

We don't go in for hamburgers much in our house, but every now and then, when there's minced beef knocking around and not much time to do something more complex, it seems like a valid option. Thus it was on Tuesday. To make hamburgers the way Martin does it, take about 120 grams of quality minced beef per burger and add salt, pepper and thyme leaves. If the thyme is fresh, chop it, but if it's drying out somewhat, rub the leaves from the stalks and grind them roughly with the salt and pepper using a pestle and mortar, then add to the mince. Knead the meat for a minute or two, roll into balls and shape into thick patties. If you have time, chill for half an hour or so to help retain the shape in cooking.

Heat the oven to 200c. Get a non-stick frying pan really hot and brush with a drop of oil. Lay the burgers in the pan and leave them there to sizzle for a minute or until browned on the underside. Flip them and give the second side a minute. Transfer to the oven for two or three minutes. Rest for two minutes and serve. This makes a rare, loose-textured burger with a pleasant flavour of thyme. Sometimes M makes burgers with Roquefort cheese in the middle. Another of his variations is to add grated parmesan or pecorino cheese, grated lemon zest and breadcrumbs to the meat, in which case he gives it a second grinding to produce a denser mixture.

Burger buns being uniformly horrible (even the sound is unpleasant), M served his burgers with Cornish new potatoes, curly kale and salad. The kale made a second appearance on Wednesday, accompanying chicken breasts wrapped in bacon, orzo pasta (the little rice-like one) cooked with garlic butter and chopped parsley, and more salad. Each meal was followed by fresh fruit, including nectarines and apples.

I'll never understand humans' liking for raw vegetable matter, or indeed their need for such a wide variety of food, although it is interesting for me to watch - in fact it's almost become a hobby. Personally I'm happy with my white-fish fillet and Science Diet, with an occasional stolen mouthful of my sister's Felix, and I only hope I can continue to enjoy them for a few years to come.