Hamburgers are a popular food among many Americans, especially when summer, and therefore, barbecue season rolls around. If you're looking to perfect the art of making excellent burgers, this guide on how to make a hamburger will show you how.

• Making a great hamburger is like cooking anything else. It often takes a bit of practice and trial and error to perfect the art. There are virtually hundreds of different recipes out there and each chef will likely tell you that theirs is the best. Some recipes call for the addition of bread crumbs, various spices and sauces, eggs, garlic or onions, but all you really need to make burgers is ground beef and buns. Purists argue that the addition of additional ingredients dilutes the natural beefy flavor of a great burger.

(Creative Commons photo by pointnshoot)

• Your first step to making great burgers is to get yourself some ground beef. There are several different types of ground beef, most commonly chuck, round and sirloin. For burgers, most cooks recommend ground chuck with 15-20% fat content. This will ensure that your burgers are juicy, but not too greasy. Each pound of beef will make about four average-sized burgers.

• Divide your beef up into the amount of patties you want to make, ensuring that the portions of beef are as equal as possible, so that they cook evenly. One pound of beef will make four patties, so if you have one pound, divide it into four equal portions. With clean hands, form the beef into patties. Since burgers tend to shrink in size and plump up as they cook, make the patties a bit larger and flatter than you want them to be after they have cooked. Try to avoid handling and squishing the meat too much—press the patties lightly into the desired shape. If your burgers tend to be plump in the middle, when they are cooked, try this trick: Take an 8 oz. glass and push the flat bottom into the center of the patty. This will make a saucer-like indentation in the meat, which helps to even out the burger when it is cooked.

• Cooking times will vary depending on the quality of your stove or grill and the size of your patties. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends cooking ground beef to an internal temperature of 160 degrees, so if you have a meat thermometer, use it to check whether the burgers are fully cooked. If you don't have a meat thermometer, you can use a knife to cut into the burgers to ensure that they are done all the way through before serving them.

• To cook burgers on the stove, use a non-stick frying pan

1. Turn the stove to medium-high and wait for the pan to heat up
2. Place the burgers in the pan
3. Allow the burgers to cook for 3-5 minutes
4. Once the burgers have browned on the underside, flip them over and cook for another 3-5 minutes

• Heat your grill or barbecue to medium. If you're using a barbecue, the flames should not be high enough to actually reach the burgers

1. Place the burgers on the grill
2. Allow the burgers to cook for 3-5 minutes, until they no longer stick to the grill and have grill marks on the bottom
3. Flip the burgers and cook for another 3-5 minutes

• Regardless of which way you cook the burgers, do not squish them with your spatula as they cook—this releases the tasty juices inside and will cause flare-ups if you're cooking on the grill. To make cheeseburgers, place the cheese on the burgers about one minute before they're finished cooking.

• Using the above method, you will be able to make meaty, juicy hamburgers that you and your guests are sure to love. Just place them on buns with your choice of condiments and toppings. Once you've perfected the art of making and cooking burgers, you can alter their taste by mixing your choice of sauces and spices with the meat before making the patties. However, keep in mind that many burger fans argue that the best burgers are those made with beef alone.

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• Introduction
• Step 1: The Beef
• Step 2: Make the Patties
• Step 3: Cook the Burgers
• Conclusion