The Big Zac
An iconic flavour combination, which I have veganised and bears absolutely no resemblance to a burger with a similar name. It’s all handily wrapped up in a bun so you can eat it on the go while avoiding a cease and desist from a multinational fastfood corporation.
Makes 4
20g dried shiitake mushrooms
400g can black beans, rinsed and drained, reserving 60ml aquafaba
90g small chunk TVP (textured vegetable protein)
3 Tbsp tomato ketchup
3 Tbsp barbecue sauce
1 Tbsp liquid smoke
135g gluten flour, plus 2 Tbsp extra if needed
1 Tbsp beefstyle stock powder
2 tsp onion powder
1⁄2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
120ml olive oil
8 slices dairyfree Americanstyle cheese 8 sesamecovered burger buns
2 large handfuls shredded iceberg lettuce
1⁄2 white onion, finely chopped
2 sweet and spicy dill pickles (gherkins), sliced into rounds
Big Zac secret sauce
135g mayonnaise (use storebought vegan mayonnaise)
2 Tbsp gherkin relish
2 tsp Dijon or American mustard 1 tsp white vinegar
1⁄2 tsp granulated sugar up to 1⁄2 tsp smoked paprika 1⁄4 tsp onion powder 1⁄4 tsp garlic powder
Method
Heat the oven to 180degC.
Place the dried shiitake mushrooms in a food processor and blitz to a powder. Add the black beans and process until smooth.
In a large bowl, combine the TVP, reserved aquafaba, ketchup, barbecue sauce and liquid smoke. Mix in the black bean mixture and set aside. In another large bowl, combine the gluten flour, stock powder, onion powder and pepper. Stir the prepared TVP mixture into the dry ingredients until the mixture comes together. Knead until everything is fully combined, adding the extra gluten flour if needed to bring it together into a ball. Divide into quarters and press each quarter into two patties.
Line a baking tray with baking paper and place the patties on top. Sprinkle over 125ml water. Cover the patties with another sheet of baking paper and bake for 1 hour, flipping at the halfway mark and sprinkling over another half cup of water. Check every so often to ensure that the patties aren’t browning up too much — they should be mostly dry by the time the hour is up. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
Heat half the oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add four of the patties and press with a spatula to flatten them slightly. Cook for 5 minutes, then flip and cook the other sides for 5 minutes. Flip again and place two cheese slices on top of each patty. Continue to cook until the cheese starts to melt, then remove from the pan. Heat the remaining oil and cook the remaining patties.
While the patties are cooking, use a bread knife to halve the buns. Four of the top halves won’t be required, so set these away for later use. Lightly toast the buns.
To make the Big Zac secret sauce Combine the ingredients in a bowl.
To serve
Spread a generous amount of Big Zac secret sauce over the bottom half of four burger buns. Scatter lettuce over the sauce and top with a cheesy burger patty, cheese side down. Add a little onion and place the remaining bottom bun halves on top.
Continue to build the burgers with another round of sauce and lettuce and then top with the pickle and remaining patties. Scatter over the remaining onion and finish with the bun tops.