Euro burgers with red wine sauce

enough for: 2
takes: 10 minutes
400g (14oz) minced (ground) beef
1/3 cup red wine
2 – 3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 generous tablespoons unsalted butter
mixed salad leaves, to serve

1. Preheat a large frying pan or skillet on high.

2. Form beef into 2 patties.

3. Sprinkle a scant teaspoon salt on the hot pan and place burgers on top.

4. Sear burgers for about 3 minutes on each side. Remove meat and rest on 2 warm dinner plates.

4. Add wine and tomato paste to the pan. Simmer for a minute or so, stirring to scrape up and burger bits into the sauce.

5. Stir in butter until melted. Taste and season sauce.

6. Serve burgers with sauce poured over and green salad on the side.

CHRISTMAS GINGER BEER-GLAZED HAM

4kg half leg ham on the bone

Ginger Beer Glaze

1 firmly packed cup brown sugar
1/2 cup soy sauce
3 whole cloves
1cm piece ginger, peeled, sliced
3/4 cup ginger beer
2 kaffir lime leaves
2 star anise
1 cinnamon quill
1 garlic bulb, halved horizontally
1/2 cup (250ml) red wine
1 tsp mustard seeds

Melon salad:

1/2 rockmelon, seeds removed, cut into wedges
handful basil, leaves picked
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbs white wine vinegar

For the glaze, combine all ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and cook for 40 minutes or until reduced by two-thirds. Set aside to cool completely. Strain glaze into a bowl, discarding solids.

Preheat oven to 150°C. Using a small sharp knife, cut around ham shank in a zigzag pattern, then carefully run knife under skin, around the edge of the ham.

Gently lift off skin in 1 piece by running your fingers between the rind and the fat. Discard skin, then score fat in parallel lines, 1cm apart. Baste fat with some of the glaze and place ham on a rack set in a large roasting pan. Roast ham, basting with remaining glaze every 20 minutes, for 1.5 hours or until caramelised.

Slice the ham and serve with salad.