Recipe of the Month: Ultimate Burgers
By Angela Zaher / Ultimate Burger Recipe by Melissa Thompson
Nothing manifests summer as well as a BBQ. So fire up yours, using the tips from Melissa Thompson’s latest cookbook Fired Up and watch how the sun comes out, friends start dropping by following the smoke trails and the sizzling sounds that are the official soundtrack to summer 2026 herald much mirth and celebration. We are fascinated by fire cooking – it’s slow, social and traditional, connecting us to our primal ancestors, everything an air fryer isn’t. Jamie is dedicating a series to it. I have the perfect recipe this month to lure you outdoors and it all starts with a burger.
Melissa’s recipe is simple and easy to follow so that you end up with the Ultimate Burger. No gimmicks, no towers of paraphernalia and pulled things. A comforting and nostalgic burger that you eat with your hands.
It’s almost the weekend. If you want it to be sunny, you know what you have to do.
Fired Up by Melissa Thompson, £22 Carnival. Photography Patricia Niven.
Angela Zaher is a freelance writer based in London. Her articles have been published in The Evening Standard, Delicious, Platinum, Good Housekeeping and Business Insider. Find her on instagram @angela_zaher
The Ultimate Burger
Ingredients
- 480g 20% fat, dry-aged (if possible) beef mince
- rapeseed oil, for brushing
- 4 brioche burger buns, split open
- 4 cheese slices
- salt and freshly ground black
- pepper
For the burger sauce
- 2 tbsp tomato ketchup
- 1 tbsp finely diced shallot or red onion
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 tsp English mustard
- 4 gherkins, chopped
- splash of Worcestershire sauce
To serve (optional)
- 8 slices of smoked streaky bacon
- 12 slices of gherkin
Method
Mix together all the ingredients for the sauce in a bowl and set aside. Divide the mince into four equal balls. Cut out two 15cm squares of baking paper and lay one on a flat surface. Place a ball of mince in the middle, lay the other sheet of paper on top and use something heavy and perfectly flat (such as a frying pan or saucepan) to press down firmly until the patty is about 7mm thick – it’ll look really thin, but it will shrink as it cooks and thicken as a result. Remove the top layer of paper and brush a bit of oil over the patty, then set aside. Repeat with the remaining patties.
Light the barbecue with the coals set up using the bullseye method. First, toast the brioche buns cut side down on the grill for a minute or so on each side until golden. Do not leave them as they will burn. Remove and cover with a towel to keep warm. If using, cook the bacon in a flameproof frying pan on the grill directly over the coals. Remove and set aside.
Place the patties on the grill directly over the coals, oiled-side down. Sprinkle the side facing upwards with salt and pepper. Cook for 90 seconds, then use a metal spatula to flip them over. Season the cooked side of the patty and leave to cook for another 90 seconds. Add the cheese slice and bacon and sliced gherkins, if using. Spread the burger sauce over the top halves of the buns and place on top of the patties. Using the metal spatula, lift the patties and slide them onto the bottom halves of the buns. Steam for a couple of minutes and serve.
