Beef burger. The first hamburger was served in a bun (the breakthrough) in 1904 at the St Louis World Fair. It consists of beef minced (US: ground) with onions and formed into a thin patty. It is commonly then grilled and served on a soft white bread roll with a gherkin (US: dill pickle) and a choice of sauces. The beef burger is a very good example of something which, when made at home with good quality beef and served with a thoughtful sauce, can be a delight but which, in mass production, is pretty horrible. I stated that confidently some time ago, but have now read that there is doubt about the origins of the hamburger. Some say that Charles Nagreen flattened a meatball and stuck it in a bun at a Wisonsin country fair in 1855 to make life easier for his clients. Others subscribe to the opinion that, in the same year, Frank and Charles Mecnhes were similarly inspired and soldminced beef in sandwiches when they ran out of sausage meat at a place called Hamburg in New York State.
