So I've been working on creating my own recipe beef burgers for a long time now Years, in fact. You might say that creating the perfect burger has become a bit of a passion of mine. Lets be honest, as a butcher, I can't be having friends and family round and serving up something less than the best. It would just make me look bad. Anyway, I wanted a simple beef burger recipe. No random spices, no breadcrumbs, or eggs for binding it together, just a real meaty beef burger that tastes like beef, and melts in the mouth.

The real secret to making a great homemade beef burger is choosing the right mince. I have experimented with loads of different cuts, combinations of different cuts, different fat contents, and everything in between. What I have found out through all my burger adventures is; fat is your friend. For me, the magic formula for great burgers is around 85% lean beef to 15% fat in your mince. The fat helps the burgers to cook, it keeps them juicy, and adds real depth of flavour. If the mince is too lean you'll end up with a firm, dry burger. Not what you want. I've found that the most consistent cut, in terms of fat ratio and flavour, has always been chuck. So, get yourself a pound (450g) of minced chuck.

For my signature best burger recipe I like to serve each burger with 2 onion rings, bacon, cheese, BBQ sauce and my homemade bacon jam (recipe coming soon). Always, always serve your burgers on a toasted brioche bun. To use anything other than a brioche bun is demented. Anyway, here's my best beef burger recipe.

Yield: Serves 4

Prep Time: 10 Minutes

Cook Time: 20 Minutes

Ingredients

• 450g beef mince (80% lean to 20% fat ratio)
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• Onion rings
• Cheese
• Bacon (smoked or plain)
• Matts bacon jam (recipe coming soon)
• BBQ sauce
• 4 brioche buns

Method

1. Divide the mince into four, shape into balls, and then flatten gently into rough burger shapes. We don't want to overwork the mince, so try to handle it as little as possible, and be gentle when flattening the balls as we don't want to compact the meat. The burgers will cook, and taste, much better if you don't squash the meat too much.
2. Pop the onion rings and bacon into the oven and cook on a medium-high heat.
3. Season your burgers generously with sea salt and coarse black pepper on both sides.
4. Make sure your pan/griddle/skillet is hot before you pop your burgers on. This will sear the outside and lock all those delicious flavours in.
5. Add your burgers to the pan/griddle/skillet. No need to add any oil as the fat will render out of the burgers as they cook. 
6. Cook the burgers for 5-10 minutes turning occasionally. I usually only turn my burgers once halfway through as this really helps to get a nice sear on the outside of the meat.
7. Toast your brioche buns on top of a toaster, or in the oven for 5 minutes with the onion rings and bacon.
8. With the burgers still in the pan, add your chosen cheese to the top of your burgers and leave until the cheese starts to melt.
9. Once the bacon, and onion rings are cooked to your liking, you can start to assemble your burgers. Put each burger onto each bun, add the bacon, then the onion rings, top with BBQ sauce and a dollop of bacon jam (if you have any available) and serve while hot.

Tips

• Dish up with a side of sweet potato fries.
• Add some lettuce and tomato to the bottom of your burger if that's the sort of thing you like.