AMERICAN BURGER RECIPE RECIPES

1. Wrap the crackers in a tea towel and smash up until fine, breaking up any big bits with your hands, then tip into a large bowl.
2. Finely chop the parsley (stalks and all), then add to the bowl with the mustard (if using), and the minced beef.
3. Crack the egg into the bowl, then add a good pinch of sea salt and black pepper.
4. With clean hands, scrunch and mix everything up well. Divide into 6 and pat and mould each piece into a roundish shape, roughly 2cm thick.
5. Place the burgers onto a plate, drizzle with oil, then cover and place in the fridge until needed – this will help to firm them up.
6. To cook the burgers, preheat a large griddle or frying pan for 4 minutes on a high heat, then turn the heat down to medium.
7. Place the burgers on the griddle or into the pan, then use a spatula to lightly press them down, making sure the burger is in full contact with the pan.
8. Cook the burgers for 3 or 4 minutes on each side, depending on how you like them – you may need to work in batches.
9. Meanwhile, wash and dry a few small lettuce leaves, tearing up the larger ones. Slice the tomatoes, peel and finely slice the red onion, then slice the gherkins lengthways as finely as you can.
10. Place all the veg toppings, and the cheese (if using) on a platter and put in the middle of the table with plates, cutlery, ketchup and drinks.
11. Once cooked, remove the burgers to a plate and carefully wipe the pan clean with a ball of kitchen paper.
12. Halve the burger buns and lightly toast them in the pan, then serve up.

1. For the best burger, go to your butcher and ask them to mince 800g of chuck steak for you – this cut has a really good balance of fat and flavoursome meat.
2. Divide it into 4 and, with wet hands, roll each piece into a ball, then press into flat patties roughly 12cm wide and about 2cm wider than your buns. Place on an oiled plate and chill in the fridge.
3. Next, finely slice the red onion, then dress in a bowl with the vinegar and a pinch of sea salt. Slice the gherkins and halve the buns. Finely chop the lettuce and mix with the rest of the burger sauce ingredients in a bowl, then season to taste.
4. I like to only cook 2 burgers at a time to achieve perfection, so get two pans on the go – a large non-stick pan on a high heat for your burgers and another on a medium heat for the bacon.
5. Pat the burgers with oil and season them with salt and pepper. Put 2 burgers into the first pan, pressing down on them with a fish slice, then put half the bacon into the other pan.
6. After 1 minute, flip the burgers and brush each cooked side with ½ a teaspoon of mustard and a dash of Tabasco. After another minute, flip onto the mustard side and brush again with another ½ teaspoon of mustard and a second dash of Tabasco on the other side.
7. Cook for one more minute, by which point you can place some crispy bacon on top of each burger with a slice of cheese. Add a tiny splash of water to the pan and place a heatproof bowl over the burgers to melt the cheese – 30 seconds should do it.
8. At the same time, toast 2 split buns in the bacon fat in the other pan until lightly golden.
9. Repeat with the remaining two burgers.
10. To build each burger, add a quarter of the burger sauce to the bun base, then top with a cheesy bacon burger, a quarter of the onions and gherkins. Rub the bun top with a teaspoon of ketchup, then gently press together.
11. As the burger rests, juices will soak into the bun, so serve right away, which is great, or for an extra filthy experience, wrap each one in greaseproof paper, then give it a minute to go gorgeous and sloppy.

Divide the minced beef into four equal portions and roll them into balls without pressing them together too much. Squash the balls and gently mould them into four "quarterpound" patties the same size as your burger buns. Chill the patties in the fridge for at least 10 minutes. 

Heat a large frying pan or barbecue hotplate and brush it with a little dripping or oil. Cut the buns in half and place them, cut-side down, directly onto the hotplate. Season each patty well with salt and pepper, and place onto the hotplate alongside the buns. 

Add a small amount of shaved onion to the raw top of the patty and squish it in. After a minute or so, flip it over. Add a slice of cheese to the cooked top of the patty and then cover it with the top of a bun. Cook the patty for a further minute or two until the cheese is melted. Flip the bun bottom and cover with the cheese and bun-covered patty. Serve with pickles and condiments.

*Adam's tip Cheaper beef minces are higher in fat than the more expensive "premium" minces, which makes them great for hamburgers. While burger experts recommend 30 per cent fat for hamburgers, the 15-20 per cent fat you get in cheap minces is perfectly fine.