deep south

Now making your own burgers is the easiest, cheapest and most satisfying thing ever! They don't just have to be for summer time BBQs either - in fact, homemade burgers are best cooked on a griddle pan, as they are more likely to be a bit crumbly than shop-bought burgers. They can be made to be your basic burger with bap, or you could fancy them up to be the perfect gourmet burger - serve with goats cheese, stilton, avocado, bacon, chilli, jalapenos or roasted veg... the list goes on!

Want to make them festive? Add brie and cranberry, delish. Or my boyfriend's suggestion - tinsel. Cheers, love.

You will need (for four burgers)

500g minced beef

1 onion - finely chopped

1 weetabix

1 egg

1 stock cube

Worcestershire sauce (1 tablespoon)

Dijon mustard (1 teaspoon)

Chilli powder (a dash)

Dried oregano (a dash)

Mixed spice (a dash)

A few bits and pieces... Some prefer to fry off their onions first (I am one of those) and some prefer to just whack them in raw and cook all at once. You decide! You do need to chop them up fairly well though, or they'll cause the burger to fall apart more easily. Use what seasoning you have; you really can experiment which these until you find the perfect taste. Before you cook your burgers, pop them in the fridge for at least 30 minutes - this will prevent them from falling apart when cooking. Make sure your pan (preferably a griddle pan) is nice and hot before you whack them on. 

The doing is easy - shove all your ingredients in a mixing bowl, get your hands in there and combine! People are often shocked by the weetabix; this is used alongside the egg to bind your burgers. Alternatively, you can use a small handful of breadcrumbs. Separate your mixture into four balls, then squish into burger shapes with your hands. Pop in fridge for at least 30 minutes. Fry for about 5 minutes on each side (depending on size and thickness) and place cheese on top a few minutes before they're done if you fancy. 

Do you have a great burger recipe?