Burger King UK has launched an £11 wagyu beef burger alongside celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay.
Though Ramsay did not create it, he has endorsed the burger and will feature in TV adverts with the tagline, ‘Not Made by Gordon’.
Available from 9 September for a limited time, the burger features British wagyu beef, caramelised onion mayo, rocket, and onions three ways (caramelised onions, pink pickled onions, and crispy onions).
“I think, from a chef’s point of view, the most exciting thing is the British farms,” Ramsay said.
“When I put my head on my pillow tonight, it’s supporting the farmers.”
The raising of wagyu cattle – which produce highly prized beef, known for being particularly tender and marbled – has been growing in Britain in recent years, by crossing the Japanese breed with British dairy cows.
“Everyone thinks that we need to draw on Japan for their wagyu, or American wagyu, but to have our own British wagyu? Come on, let’s f***ing celebrate!” says Ramsay.
“We’re going through one of the most difficult times in the hospitality sector… It’s brutal out there. Absolutely brutal.
“I can put it on the spotlight of what we’re producing now.”
Ramsay himself owns a chain of gourmet burger joints – Street Burger by Gordon Ramsay.
He said the secret to cooking a great burger at home is to “literally take it out the fridge 10 minutes before you cook it” and let it rest.
“Lightly season it, also a little drizzle of oil, and then into the pan.
“And only flip it once, and then just place either a lid or a little weight on there and just lightly press it, and that helps caramelise on the outside, so you get a bit more texture there.”
At home, cook a burger for “two minutes each side”, he said – but let it rest again for the same amount of time that you cooked it.
And “the bun is crucial, and that bun needs to be toasted so it doesn’t go so soggy”.
When cooking his own he’s partial to a “a little bit of sriracha, some chilli flakes and a fried egg on top of my burger – I’d take take that all day long over cheese because the flavour of that yolk and that burger and the crispy egg white at the side.”
The Wagyu, part of the Gourmet Kings range, is available at Burger King UK nationwide for a limited time.
Sonic drops new NFL season deal – here’s what you can score
Gordon Ramsay reveals he underwent surgery to remove non-melanoma skin cancer
Prince Harry brings up ‘challenging’ sibling relationships: Latest
Miriam Margolyes calls women having Botox a ‘travesty’
Born without a passion for fashion, how Armani ended up a billionaire king of style
New research confirms link between caffeine and vivid dreams
