The burger is mightier than the pen....

Summer is a good time to hang out with friends, drink good beer and enjoy tasty hamburgers.  We headed down to Modus Operandi in Mona Vale, Sydney to discover what kind of beer and burgers they were dishing up on the Northern Beaches of Sydney.  Situated in a revamped warehouse, Modus Operandi is definitely one of the more hipper breweries that are on offer.  The burger on the menu is called the Ernest Burger.

Here's the menu's description of the burger:-

Ernest Burger- 200g premium hemmingway [sic] patty, house pickles, bacon jam, baby cos, American cheddar, bacon, mustard mayo

Apart from getting the spelling of Hemingway wrong on the menu, this description sounds mouth-watering.  I asked the staff about why it was called a Hemingway burger.  The staff told me that Ernest Hemingway made burger patties according to a certain recipe which involved 12 different ingredients.  I was also concerned that the burger was not filling enough (it doesn't come with chips).  But again, the friendly staff assured me that the burger patty was sizeable and I would not be disappointed.

They were right.  The burger definitely did not disappoint.  This burger is definitely all about the patty!  The patty was chunky, beefy and juicy.  It dripped with burger saucy goodness as I took each bite. There was a good portion of bacon, a chunk of pickle, and the crunch of the cos lettuce.  The bun was soft and smooth.  I now have a new appreciation for Hemingway.  The man knew what he was doing.

My only complaint would be that there was a little too much horseradish cream in the burger.  It rather overpowered the taste of cheese and pickle.  And I did not notice the taste of 'bacon jam'.  In fact, I've never even heard of bacon jam.  I think I'll have to go back and try this experience again.

The burgers are like Hemingway's writing- quality and memorable.

If you want a meaty burger that you can sink your teeth into, with a delicious craft beer, you won't be disappointed at Modus Operandi.

Postscript- A quick google search confirms that Hemingway did in fact love his burgers.  Among his materials that have been digitised for the JFK Presidential Library and Museum in 2013 is a burger patty recipe.  You can see a scan of the recipe here.

The text of the burger recipe is reproduced below.  So grab a copy of A Farewell to Arms and enjoy!  But don't eat too many or the bell will definitely be tolling for thee!

PAPA’S FAVORITE HAMBURGER. There is no reason why a fried hamburger has to turn out gray, greasy, paper-thin and tasteless. You can add all sorts of goodies and flavors to the ground beef -- minced mushrooms, cocktail sauce, minced garlic and onion, chopped almonds, a big dollop of piccadilli, or whatever your eye lights on. Papa prefers this combination.

Ingredients --

1 lb. ground lean beef

2 cloves, minced garlic

2 little green onions, finely chopped

1 heaping teaspoon, India relish

2 tablespoons, capers

1 heaping teaspoon, Spice Islands sage

Spice Islands Beau Monde Seasoning -- ½ teaspoon

Spice Islands Mei Yen Powder -- ½ teaspoon **

1 egg, beaten in a cup with a fork

About one third cup dry red or white wine.

1 tablespoon cooking oil

What to do --

Break up the meat with a fork and scatter the garlic, onion and dry seasonings over it, then mix them into the meat with a fork or your fingers. Let the bowl of meat sit out of the icebox for ten or fifteen minutes while you set the table and make the salad. Add the relish, capers, everything else including wine and let the meat sit, quietly marinating, for another ten minutes if possible. Now make four fat, juicy patties with your hands. The patties should be an inch thick, and soft in texture but not runny. Have the oil in your frying-pan hot but not smoking when you drop in the patties and then turn the heat down and fry the burgers about four minutes. Take the pan off the burner and turn the heat high again. Flip the burgers over, put the pan back on the hot fire, then after one minute, turn the heat down again and cook another three minutes. Both sides of the burgers should be crispy brown and the middle pink and juicy.