Hamburgers reached Australia in the 1930s, and within a decade the country had quietly made them its own by adding a slice of beetroot. Nobody can say for certain who did it first, but by the 1960s the corner takeaway and the milk bar were offering a burger that came with fried onions, an egg, a rasher of bacon, tomato sauce and, if you were lucky, a ring of pineapple. Ask for all of it and you ordered a burger with the lot, which remains the only sensible way to order one.

It is a magnificent, slightly unruly thing, and its genius is balance: the earthy sweetness of beetroot and the tang of pineapple cut through the beef, bacon and cheese, while the egg yolk turns into a sauce the moment you bite. Visitors tend to raise an eyebrow at the beetroot. They also tend to finish the burger.

The Australian Grand Prix brings the season to Melbourne early in the year, and a burger with the lot is the kind of thing worth queuing for on a long day at Albert Park. At home, set the toppings out in a production line and you will have four built and on the table before the lights go out.

Beef patties

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb (680 g) ground beef
• 1 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) vegetable oil
• 4 slices Cheddar cheese

Method

1. Divide the beef into 4 equal portions. Gently form each one into a round patty about 3/4 inch (2 cm) thick and slightly wider than your buns, as they shrink when cooked. Press a shallow dimple into the middle of each with your thumb so they stay flat. Lay them on parchment and chill until needed.
2. Just before cooking, sprinkle the salt and pepper evenly over both sides of the patties. Salting earlier draws out moisture and makes the texture springy.
3. Heat the large pan over medium high heat until very hot, add the oil, then lay in the patties. Cook without moving them for 4 minutes, until a dark crust forms, then flip once.
4. Cook the second side for 3 to 4 minutes. In the last minute, lay a slice of cheese on each patty and cover the pan with a lid or a baking sheet so the cheese melts. Move the patties to the baking sheet in a 200°F (95°C) oven.

Fried onions, bacon and pineapple

Ingredients

• 2 medium yellow onions
• 1 tablespoon (15 g) butter
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) vegetable oil
• 4 rashers middle or back bacon
• 4 rings pineapple

Method

1. Start these first. Heat the butter and oil in the second pan over medium heat, add the onions and a pinch of salt and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes. Scrape them into a pile on the baking sheet in the warm oven.
2. In the same pan, cook the bacon over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes a side, until the fat is golden. Drain on paper towels, then add it to the warm baking sheet. Leave the fat in the pan.
3. Lay the pineapple rings in the bacon fat over medium high heat and cook for 2 minutes a side without moving them. Add them to the warm baking sheet.

Eggs and assembly

Ingredients

• 4 burger buns
• 1 tablespoon (15 g) soft butter
• 4 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) vegetable oil
• 8 slices canned sliced beetroot
• 4 leaves iceberg or butter lettuce
• 2 ripe tomatoes
• to taste tomato sauce (ketchup) and barbecue sauce

Method

1. Split the buns, butter the cut sides thinly and toast them cut side down in the patty pan over medium heat for about 1 minute.
2. Wipe out the second pan, add the oil and set over medium heat. Crack the eggs in, spaced apart, and cook for 3 minutes, spooning a little hot oil over the whites near the yolks. For a firmer yolk, flip them for 30 seconds.
3. On each bottom bun, spread tomato sauce, then add lettuce, tomato slices and two slices of beetroot. Add the cheesy patty, then the fried onions, bacon, pineapple and finally the egg. Add a squirt of barbecue sauce and press the top bun on gently.

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