WINE, DINE & STEIN

A new wine and food show featuring Durbanville Wine Valley in the Cape

We know celebrity chef Rick Stein through his generous helpings of cookbooks, TV shows and, for some, the opportunity to dine in his restaurants. Now it’s the turn of his sons, Jack, an accomplished chef and author who also oversees the kitchens of the restaurant empire, and wine fundi Charlie, who too works in the family business, who have taken to the screens with a 13-part wine and food series filmed in the picturesque Durbanville Valley.

Featuring a dozen farms, we get to see the boys meet the owners and winemakers, do a lot of wine tasting and share the food and get involved in the cooking of the venues’ favourite recipes. And if that’s not enough, the duo add some adventure with extra activities like paragliding, firing a canon, wheelbarrow racing and quadbiking. It’s all fun and a great lockdown distraction.

Chef Jack Stein shares a burger recipe from the series.

HILLCREST WINE FARM BURGER WITH BACON JAM

Makes 2- 3 depending on the thickness of patties

Burger patty: Splash of oil 1 egg

5ml (1 tsp) ready-made mustard 5ml (1 tsp) Worcestershire sauce 1 small onion, finely grated

1 clove garlic, minced

2.5ml (½ tsp) salt

2.5ml (½ tsp) pepper

450g coarsely ground beef mince

Bacon Jam:

450g thick cut bacon, cut into 2cm pieces 2 extra-large sweet onions, quartered and thickly sliced

125ml (½ cup) brown sugar

80ml (¹/3 cup) strong brewed coffee

15ml (1 tbsp) balsamic vinegar To assemble:

Burger buns

Butter

Iceberg lettuce Tomato slices

Cheese slices, optional

Lightly oil a griddle pan and heat to medium.

Whisk egg in a bowl and add the mustard, Worcestershire sauce, onion, garlic, salt and pepper.

Crumble in minced beef and using your hands or a fork gently mix together. (Handle the meat as little as possible as the more you work it, the tougher it gets).

Gently shape mixture into patties about 2cm thick.

Make the bacon jam by frying the bacon over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently until the bacon is cooked but still quite chewy. A few crispy bits are OK.

Using a slotted spoon remove the bacon from the pan and set aside. Pour out all but about one tablespoon of the bacon fat.

Add the onions to the pan and cook for about 8-10 minutes then reduce to low heat. Add the sugar and stir. Continue to cook until the onions have caramelised (about 20 minutes). Add the coffee, ½ cup of water and bacon and increase the heat to medium. Continue to cook, stirring about every five minutes, until the onions are thick and jamlike (about 30 minutes).

Remove from heat and stir through the balsamic vinegar. Taste for seasoning and add salt if necessary.

Place burgers on the griddle and cook for about 6 to 8 minutes per side. (Don’t press or prick patties, nor turn frequently as the juices will be lost).

Lightly toast the burger bun and spread with butter. Add a couple of leaves of fresh iceberg lettuce and slices of tomato.

Top with a beef patty and cheese if using. Spoon over a big dollop of bacon jam.

Tip: Leftover jam can be bottled and refrigerated for up to a week. To re-use, simply bring back to room temperature before serving. (There will be little spots of white fat when you take it out of the fridge but as it comes to room temperature they will disappear.)

The 13-part series starts tonight on People°s Weather channel (DStv 180) at 6pm. See this recipe being made in the Wine, Dine and

Stein series, episode 4.