Nathan Mills talks burgers

Here at Burgher Burger we are very serious about our burgers. We can’t reveal our chef just yet, so we’ve asked uber butcher Nathan Mills to tell us what he thinks about burgers. Nathan is an Australian in London, passionate about real meat from great farmers. He has worked in the meat industry for 20 years, most recently with Wholefoods, Jamie Oliver's Barbecoa and The Ginger Pig.

Is organic important when it comes to beef? Why?

Animal welfare is my biggest concern. I feel that organic certification gives farmer the best guidelines to follow around all aspects of raising and feeding animals but is not the be all and end all to great meat, the breed and the farmer's vision are also important. Many people ask why great meat costs more. The answer is plain and simple; farmers that are truly passionate about their animals are usually doing it from a welfare, environmental and taste point of view or trying to keep native breeds from being lost forever, not just as a commodity item. It's hard to make people understand that great animals take many more months to grow then intensively farmed ones.

What cuts make the best burger?

I find the type of patty you are looking for decides the meat you use. For example if you are looking for that deep beef flavour I would use the neck of beef, shin and short rib with a good mix of fat from a dry aged carcass the fat will help to baste the patty as it is cooking and keep it moist. For something that is not quite so beefy, I would use the top rump or topside minced with some dry aged fat. The size of the mincers plate also effect the texture of the patty.

Never would I add any salt or bread crumbs to the patty at all as they will start to pull the moisture out of the meat and you will be left with a patty that will be tough and spongy. The patty needs to be treated like a steak, seasoned like rain on the outside and cooked on a very hot grill over charcoal, if possible.

What would your ultimate burger meal consist of?

Chips triple cooked in beef dripping.

Who would you like to cook your ultimate burger meal?

Anyone that has a passion for a good burger. The type of person that looks at the whole burger and tries to balance the beef, bun, cheese, bacon and sauce so that no one thing is over-powering the others... or Heston Blumenthal.