Clem’s cheats for the perfect home-made burger

With so many gourmet burger joints opening on every corner, each with their own unique take on what makes a good one, you’d think all your burger needs have been met for life. But there’s something special about a burger made at home – filling your kitchen with the smoke of charring beef patties, or that first bite with so much juice dripping down your arms that you feel like you need to have a shower after eating it.

And let’s not forget about those monstrous skyscrapers that require us to unhinge our jaws before sinking our teeth into that steaming, toasted bun and mile-high stack of meat.

The simplest of ingredients make the best burgers, forget adding a list of toppings like crumbed jalapeños or five types of cheese, the classic cheeseburger is a classic for a reason. So let’s keep it simple.

Here are a few simple burger hacks that you must know before you prepare your next home-made burger.

IF IT’S NOT BLACK PUT IT BACK! Some people cook burger patties as if they’re playing ice hockey, smacking the patty around the pan every second. All that fiddling will probably make it as tough as a hockey puck. The trick is to leave the burger patty alone once it hits the heat. That way you allow the meat to caramelise and seal, locking in all those meaty juices.

Treat it like a steak and don’t flip it every 10 seconds, unless the patty is turning black don’t turn it over. The worst thing you can do is press down on the patty while cooking it. Every time is see this being done I shed a tear for the sake of that poor burger.

TOASTY BUNS AREN’T JUST GREAT IN WINTER. Before sandwiching that beef, chicken or pork patty, place the buns, cut side down, into the pan that you used to cook the patty, along with a knob of butter. Allow the buns to toast until golden brown. This not only adds crunch (CRUNCH = GOOD), but also warms the bun, making it all soft and steamy.

Follow these simple rules and you’ll be on your way to burger nirvana. Try out these convenient burger cheats to sharpen your new-found skills:

1. For an awesome breakfast burger, Remove the meat from a pork banger and cook it as you would a beef patty, moulding it into a classic burger shape. Once it’s perfectly cooked, toast and butter an English muffin, add the patty and top with a fried egg.

2. Woolies beef meatballs are already seasoned and come in packs of 12. All you need to do is gently press them into shape before frying them to patty perfection.

3. Don’t be a cheese snob: presliced Cheddar make life so much easier and melts perfectly over those patties. Top the burger patty with the cheese in the pan, add a touch of water to create steam, then cover with a lid so that the cheese melts perfectly over the patty.