Bøfsandwich

Method

1. Put 150 g coarse beef mince in a bowl, season with 0.5 tsp salt and 0.25 tsp black pepper and mix briefly with your fingertips — just enough to distribute the seasoning, never kneaded, or the patty turns springy.
2. Shape the meat into one patty about 1.5 cm thick and a good centimetre wider than the bun, since it shrinks in the pan. Press a shallow dimple in the centre with your thumb and rest it on a plate in the fridge for 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile make the brown gravy: melt 1 tsp butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, stir in 1 tsp plain flour and cook the roux for 1 minute until it smells biscuity. Whisk in 100 ml beef stock a splash at a time so it stays smooth, then simmer 5–6 minutes, whisking now and then, until it thickly coats the back of a spoon. Stir in 0.25 tsp gravy browning for the classic dark colour and season with salt and pepper. Keep warm over the lowest heat.
4. Heat a heavy frying pan over medium-high heat with 1 tsp butter. Lay in the patty and fry 3–4 minutes without moving it, until a dark crust has formed, then turn once and fry another 3–4 minutes. It should still be juicy in the middle; press lightly and it feels springy, not firm. Lift onto a warm plate.