Classic cheeseburger recipe

Details

• Cuisine: American
• Recipe Type: Burger
• Difficulty: Easy
• Preparation Time: 15 mins
• Cooking Time: 10 mins
• Serves: 4

Step-by-step

1. Divide the beef mince (ground beef) into four balls and flatten them into patties a little bit larger than the buns, as you will get shrinkage as the fats render. Don’t make your patties too neat and compact as you want the fats to render and work around the meat while it’s cooking.
2. Get your grill nice and hot, or set your griddle pan over a high heat on the hob.
3. Season your patties with salt and pepper then get cooking. If you’re cooking outdoors, the meat might stick to the grill – don’t worry, the grill will release the meat when it’s ready.
4. Cook for 1–2 minutes, then flip and repeat the process until they are almost done. These burgers are best served medium.
5. When they’re almost cooked – after about 6 minutes – add the cheese slices on top of each burger and cover with a cloche or large metal bowl to speed up the melt on the cheese (you’ll wait only 30 seconds for cheesy goodness).
6. Use a temperature probe to make sure the burger is perfectly cooked – medium is 60°C/140°F – then remove your burgers and keep warm while you toast the buns.
7. Get ready for the burger build! You can mix and match with your favourite condiments but here's a great suggestion. First, spread the bottom with some mayo. Next, add shredded lettuce, then the patty, two pickle slices, onion, tomato slice, and finally the ketchup and mustard and top bun. But it’s your burger – you’re going be eating it – so do it your way if you like.

This recipe is from The Burger Book by DJ BBQ (Quadrille, £12.99). Photography by David Loftus.