The ultimate homemade beef burgers

These ultimate homemade beef burgers are meaty, juicy and packed with flavour. Head of food Tom Shingler’s easy recipe prioritises technique over newfangled additions – including plenty of tips for creating the best homemade burger, topped with cheese and burger sauce.

“A sizzling burger patty on a barbecue is, for me, the sound of summer,” says Tom. “Combine it with a couple of mates, cans of beer and a tinny bluetooth speaker blasting out songs from my youth and I’m in British Summer Time heaven.”

“There’s a beautiful purity about a classic cheeseburger, especially when the patties are given a lick of flame on the barbecue. Combined with the gooey cheese, piquant sauce and a little crunch from onion or pickle, it creates something greater than its parts. The simplicity, however, means you really have to nail each element.”

• The mince needs to be 20% fat. “Any less and you’ll have something dry and crumbly. Don’t buy pre-formed patties; they’re too dense and processed. Lightly work the mince into a disc, then use your thumb to make an indent in the top; this counteracts the beef ‘ballooning’ out as it cooks.”
• Choose the right cheese. “Processed American cheese is an abomination in every scenario except on a burger, where it’s an integral thing. Melty without being greasy, it acts as a sort of rich, creamy glue to hold everything together. Your burger sauce is the third important element, providing sweetness and tang to cut through the rich meat and cheese. And don’t be afraid of going overboard with pickles.”
• Cook on the hob or barbecue: the burgers can be cooked in a griddle pan for a midweek dinner – but are even better on the barbecue. “Barbecuing the patty gives it that smoky finish, as well as the caramelised gnarly crust you usually get only from ‘smashing’ the patty – but with the added bonus of a juicy (and pink, if you like) centre.”
• One final trick: “Wrap the finished article in foil and leave it to rest for a minute or so before tucking in. This allows the residual heat and steam to stick everything together, letting the sauce get to know the patty and the cheese to envelop the onion. It’s the key thing that elevates a burger from good to outstanding.”
• Flexible recipe: Easily double the quantities to cook burgers for a crowd – ideal for parties, barbecues and sports events.