The most commonest mistake is making burgers with steak mince. This is far too lean and makes a dry, hard burger. Ideally you are looking for a ratio of 20% fat to 80% meat, which comes from minced chuck or braising steak. Don’t use eggs or breadcrumbs as binders, in fact some BBQ purists will not even season a burger till cooked!

Another mistake takes place during cooking. Once the burger is on the grill leave it alone, don’t press it or you will loose all it’s juices. Turn it once, if you find it is sticking to the grill it is NOT ready to be turned. A burger will release itself when it wants to be turned. Remember a real burger can be the main course of a BBQ, so as with steak they can be cooked rare, medium and well done (ruined!). I find a nugget of blue cheese embedded in a burger lovely surprise. Don’t skimp on the extras when constructing the finished burger, toast the buns on the grill, this will stop them becoming soggy from the juicy burger.

I first spread mayo on each half of the bun, then burger, red onion, BBQ sauce, lettuce, tomato and dill pickle. A slice of cheese can be put on top of the burger just before it comes off the grill. With all the extras invest in some bamboo skewers to hold your work of art together- oh yes, make sure of a plentiful supply of napkins!