How to Pimp Your Patty

America is the motherland of burgers as big as your face, so on 4 July, patties are always at the party.

Want in? To celebrate American Independence Day, we asked Dan Shearman, founder of street food kings The Roadery to talk us through the company’s own signature burger. And if you don’t want to DIY it? Head to the antler-topped Renault Estafette van parked up in Camden Market’s Stables Yard.

Here, Dan unpacks the burger’s secret ingredients, which give a distinctly homegrown twist to this American classic.

The beef

‘We only buy British beef from small sustainable farms where the animals have the best possible quality of life. Our patties are Dexter with 10% marrow to make them extra juicy. BIG tip: if you want an epic patty for your BBQ, head to our guys at Turner & George butchers.’

The bacon

‘Smoked is the only way. We opt for rare breed bacon with a higher fat ratio for extra flavour.’

The cheese

‘Typically, an American Jack cheese would be the way to go in the US, but it’s often switched up for cheddar on Brit burgers. We wanted to find something that wasn’t as sharp as cheddar but still a great melter like American Jack. Enter Ogleshield, an amazing British cheese from Somerset, made using raw Jersey cows’ milk. It’s perfect burger material – stringy and oozy with a great flavour.’

The mayo

‘We forage for a lot of our ingredients ourselves, and wild garlic has been in abundance in Britain for the last few months. We make an emulsion with the leaves and cold-pressed rapeseed oil then add to our freshly made mayo. You could literally spread this on anything and it would blow your mind!’

The sauce

‘We forage blackberries when they’re in season and make them into a jam. We then add west country cider vinegar, sugar, scotch bonnet chillies grown by a friend and boom! It’s got a kick that blows boring ketchup out of the water.’

The bun

‘All of this is sandwiched between Brixton baked brioche and topped with pickles from our mates at Vadasz Deli.’

For more info about The Roadery and where to find them, click here.