Beef burger

Heat a heavy frying pan until hot, then cook the burger for about 4–5 minutes on each side, turning once. For safety, check the centre reaches 75 °C; cooking time depends on the patty’s thickness.

Handle the mince lightly rather than compressing it, and press a shallow dimple into the centre of each patty before cooking. The middle tends to rise as the meat contracts, so the dimple helps the cooked burger stay flatter.

Yes, if the packaging says it is suitable for cooking from frozen. Cook it thoroughly, turning it regularly, and check the centre reaches 75 °C; don’t rely on a browned outside to show it is ready.

Cool cooked burgers promptly, refrigerate them in a covered container and eat within two days. Keep raw patties sealed on the bottom shelf of the fridge so their juices cannot drip onto ready-to-eat food.

A classic burger pairs the patty with a soft bun, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles and mustard or ketchup. For a meal, serve it with chips, coleslaw or a green salad.

A grilled portobello mushroom gives a juicy, savoury filling; a thick slice of grilled aubergine works well too. For a similar shape and texture, choose a well-seasoned bean or lentil patty.

Not always: “beef burger” may mean the whole sandwich or just its beef patty, while “beef patty” usually means the shaped portion of mince. Check how the term is being used in a recipe.

A single patty of around 100–150 g is a common serving size. That provides 20 g of protein and 142 kcal per 100 g of burger.