Classic Cheeseburger

Ingredients

• 600g beef mince (20% fat)
• 4 brioche buns
• 4 slices mature cheddar
• 4 lettuce leaves (little gem or iceberg)
• 1 tomato, sliced
• ½ red onion, thinly sliced
• 4 pickle slices
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper

For the burger sauce:

• 4 tbsp mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp ketchup
• 1 tbsp American mustard (or Dijon)
• 1 tsp pickle brine (or finely chopped gherkin)
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• pinch of garlic powder

Method

1. Make the sauce by whisking all sauce ingredients together in a small bowl. Refrigerate until needed.
2. Divide the mince into 4 portions — about 150g each. Form loose balls. Don’t compact them.
3. Heat a cast-iron pan or griddle to maximum heat. You want it smoking.
4. place a ball of meat on the pan, then smash it flat with a spatula or burger press until it’s about 1cm thick and wider than the bun. Season the top with salt and pepper.
5. Cook 90 seconds until you have a deep brown crust. Flip, add cheese slice on top, cook another 60-90 seconds.
6. Toast the buns cut-side down in the pan for 30 seconds while the burgers rest.
7. Assemble: sauce on the bottom bun, lettuce, tomato, pickle, the burger with melted cheese, onion, top bun with more sauce.

Tips

• Don’t overwork the mince — gentle hands = tender burger. Compacting it = tough back.
• Smash, don’t press — high heat and a thin burger is the secret to that crispy-edged, juicy-centred burger.
• Cheese needs help melting — place it on the burger as soon as you flip, then cover with a lid or splash a teaspoon of water onto the pan (steam melts cheese faster).
• Toast the buns — non-negotiable. A toasted bun won’t go soggy from the sauce and juice.
• Sauce keeps for 2 weeks in the fridge. brilliant on fried chicken sandwiches, fish tacos, loaded fries.
• Season aggressively — the crust needs more salt than you think.