Master the basics of the perfect burger

It’s hard to imagine anything that more perfectly captures summer food than a great grilled hamburger. But we’re not always all that great at making them.

If you master a few easy tips and techniques, you can produce burgers that will blow you away.

If you want a rich, juicy burger, use ground meat that has some natural fat. Ground chuck is the most common choice. The chuck is ground from the beef shoulder and has enough natural fat to give your burger a rich, moist flavour. You can use 100 per cent chuck, or you can use a combination of ground sirloin and ground chuck. Sirloin provides a lean texture, and chuck adds big beefy flavour. For something extra meaty, substitute ground brisket for the chuck. Whatever your blend, figure a total of one pound (454 g) of meat per three burgers.

If you buy quality, freshly ground meat, a little salt and pepper is all you need to season a burger. But to enhance the beefiness, I also like to add a dash of dry mustard powder and a little Worcestershire sauce.

When mixing and forming, it’s important not to overwork the meat. The more your work the mix, the tougher and drier the burgers will be. Use a fork, since the heat from your hands can heat up the beef, and you want it to stay chilled until it hits the grill.

To form the patties, loosely scoop up a one-third-pound (145 g) mound of the meat mixture, then gently pat it into a patty. Make a depression in the centre with your thumb to prevent your burger from swelling up like a ball on the grill. As the burger cooks, the meat will expand to fill the hole.

Burgers should be cooked directly over medium to medium-high heat. They should take eight to 10 minutes total, four to five minutes per side. Don’t mash the burgers down with the spatula. This just causes all the yummy juices to leak out. Also, turn the burger only once, halfway through the cooking time. This reduces the chances it will stick to the grate and fall apart.

Once you have mastered the basics, switch up the toppings: CLASSIC BURGER: Sliced cheese, special sauce (equal parts ketchup and mayo with a dab of yellow mustard), lettuce and pickles SOUTHERN COMFORT BURGER: Barbecue sauce, pulled pork, coleslaw and potato chips FRENCH ONION SOUP BURGER: Caramelized onions, Gruyère cheese, fried onions CALIFORNIA DREAMING BURGER: Monterey Jack cheese, sliced avocado or guacamole, sliced tomato, sliced red onion, tortilla chips