Danish Beef Patties with Onions

Danish Beef Patties with Onions © kvalifood.com

Danish beef patties with onions is a small classic — four juicy beef patties with caramelized onion rings and pan gravy. It takes 20 minutes and only needs ground beef, onions, and a little stock. The onions need patience: they need time to turn golden and soft, not brown and bitter. Serve with boiled potatoes and salad.

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

  • 500 g ground beef, 10-15% fat
  • salt, freshly ground pepper
  • 2-3 onions
  • approx. 40-50 g butter or margarine
  • 1 1/2-2 dl stock

Side dishes

  • boiled potatoes
  • salad

Instructions

Patties

Season the ground beef with salt and pepper and mix lightly. Divide into 4 equal portions and shape into round patties about 2 cm (3/4 in) thick — don’t overwork them. Score the surface lightly with the back of a knife in a crosshatch pattern.

Onions

Peel the onions and cut them into rings. Brown half the butter in the pan over medium-low heat. Fry the onions slowly for 10-15 minutes until completely soft and golden. Remove and keep warm.

Patties

Turn up to high heat and add the rest of the butter. Brown the patties 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown. Do not press them down. Remove the patties from the pan.

Gravy and serving

Pour the stock into the pan and scrape up the browned bits. Bring to a boil and season to taste. Return the patties and onions and heat through briefly. Serve immediately with boiled potatoes and salad.

Notes

  • The onions need time — 10-15 minutes over low heat gives soft, sweet onions; high heat gives burnt, bitter ones
  • Scoring the surface prevents the patty from curling up during cooking
  • Never press the patty while cooking — it pushes the juices out
  • The gravy can be thickened lightly with 1 tsp cornstarch dissolved in a little cold water
  • Freezing: approx. 5 months (shaped raw patties)