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Perfect Burger

Perfect Burger

By OcadoLife
Published on 18 July 2025
Looking to up your barbecue game? Chef Justin Tsang has the answer with his Perfect Burger. “This recipe has crunch, succulence, gooeyness and a balance of sweet, salty and tangy flavours – all the elements of a superb burger. For the juiciest results, go for good-quality beef burger patties with a high fat content. They should be thin-ish (1-2 cm) as they tense up when cooked. To flatten, put the patties between sheets of baking paper and press down with a pan. They’ll also benefit from a ‘salt cure’ to give a good crust and moist centre: season with salt and black pepper, then leave for 5-10 mins until the moisture drops drawn to the surface vanish.” Check out Justin’s Ultimate Hot Dog too – search for the recipe online.
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Time and servings

15 minsTotal time
2Servings
10 minsPrep time
5 minsCooking time

Ingredients

  • 1 salad onion, ½ finely chopped for the sauce, ½ finely sliced and soaked in ice-cold water for the topping
  • 1 gherkin, finely diced
  • 1 tbsp ketchup
  • 1 tbsp sriracha sauce
  • 2 tbsp Japanese mayonnaise
  • 2 tbsp finely chopped kimchi
  • 2 tbsp kimchi juice
  • 2 good-quality beef burgers, at room temperature (see intro)
  • 2 slices floppy cheese
  • 1 knob unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 brioche burger buns
  • 1 small handful shredded iceberg lettuce

Method

  • Step 1

    Prepare the barbecue for direct cooking with the lit charcoal spread out evenly under the grill.

  • Step 2

    While it’s heating up, prepare the sauce. Mix together the finely chopped salad onion, the gherkin, ketchup, sriracha, Japanese mayo, kimchi and kimchi juice; set aside until needed.

  • Step 3

    When the barbecue is smoking hot, put the burgers on the grill and leave them alone for 2-3 mins (2 mins for medium, 3 mins for well done) before flipping. Lay the cheese on top and grill for another 2-3 mins without disturbing it. The flames should sear the burgers, igniting the fat into tiny clouds of smoke, which gently kisses the meat and gives it a nice, charred crust and flavour.

  • Step 4

    Just before the burgers are ready, slather the melted butter onto both halves of the burger buns and toast on a coolish spot on the barbecue (usually at the edge) for about 1 min until golden – keep an eye on them as they can burn quickly.

  • Step 5

    To assemble the burgers, take the bottom half of each bun and layer up the lettuce, cheese-topped burgers, a generous dollop of the sauce and some crunchy spring onion. Pop the lids on and tuck in.