Short Order Burger

In recent years, Perth’s seen a torrent of restaurants open who are specialising in burgers. Not the type with beetroot and lentil patties, though. We’re talking about a resurgence of the original, the Presley of burgers, the type you would’ve eaten in a bright, poppy American diner last century.

Though there have been many who have attempted to recreate the classic, none have done so better than Short Order. Owner Simon Kony tasted and rated burgers around the world, researching the ultimate combos before starting his shop in the Mantle, Fremantle in 2015.

The magic philosophy

Kony’s philosophy centres around simplicity and quality. That’s why we are big fans. The other reason why we’re advocates is that Kony makes his famous, juicy patties from beef sourced from us - Dirty Clean Food.

We partner with regenerative farmers in the South West including Warren Pensini of Blackwood Valley Beef.  Warren is also part of the DCF team and hand picks our cattle to align to our quality and regenerative standards.

“The animals are treated really well and are grass-fed. I’ve never met anyone so passionate about cattle as Warren. Quality patties start there.”

There’s a lot of love and effort that goes into the burgers, is what we’re saying. And we’re not surprised Short Order has garnered the reputation for tastiest burgers in the state—and has since opened another place in Perth city, too (if you didn’t know). If you did, you’d also know there are lines that consistently snake down the street.

Like many restaurants, though, since the COVID-19 pandemic, the lines have disappeared.

“As people started working from home, in-house sales started to drop. We had to run really tightly for a couple of weeks,” Kony says.

“Then we went to delivery only. But, in the end, we couldn’t justify staying open. And I didn’t want to put staff at risk. So, we shut the doors on Friday [27th of March]—for now, anyway.”

That’s the unfortunate news.  

But here’s the good news:

Kony and Dirty Clean Food don’t want you to go into isolation without the comfort of a delicious burger.  

So the Short Order team have put together patties that you can now order for home. You can purchase them HERE. This way, you can make your favourite burger at home.

Yes, we know. A meat patty isn’t the only ingredient. That’s why Kony has kindly detailed the simple steps to one of Short Order’s staples.

There’s just one more thing 

When you’re making your burger(s) at home, you’re not only gratifying your taste buds. You’re supporting Short Order—a local, family-owned business—get through this challenging time.

Not only that. You’re also supporting farmers in the south-west who use regenerative farming practices, which, in short, is a form of agriculture that is helping reverse the effects of climate change. You can read more about that HERE.

As you’re eating your juicy morsel, pat yourself on the back. You’re basically helping the world by eating burgers.

THE RECIPE 

Burger

• Any soft burger bun
• American cheddar
• Dill pickles (a few)
• Raw white onion (medium to thick slices)

Sauce

• Mayonnaise
• Ketchup

Method

To make the sauce, mix mayo and ketchup. The ratio is 50:50.

Give the grill or pan some really good heat. This will depend on your burner set-up. But just make sure the things pretty hot.  

Place patty on pan or grill. Short Order cooks the patties to medium-rare. Again, achieving this will depend on the burner set-up. But you want to cook the underside until it caramelises. Commonly known as the Maillard Reaction. Season with salt and pepper before flipping.

Flip the patty. Lay cheese on patty. Again, cook patty until underside has caramelised and cheese melted.

Lightly toast burger bun on pan or grill.

Compile burger.

Turn on the neon lights. Make a milkshake. Bang on the jukebox. Find a booth-like set-up. And eat like it’s 1977.

Lastly, to buy the patties, click HERE.

* Photo courtesy of Denise Rix Photography