Beef burgers: how to do-it-yourself

Forget those greying slabs of fatty gristle that pass for burgers at fast food joints. Once you've sunk your teeth into a fat, juicy, spicy, homemade version, you'll never order another, says Terry Farris. And if the sun shines, you could even get out the barbecue

Take a break from fast-food burger chains and make your own. The sky's the limit when it comes to the different ingredients you can add to make a truly personalised burger. Purists may like to mince the beef themselves, but you will need a special mincing machine - chopping it finely won't produce quite the same texture. Most supermarkets and butchers offer mince with varying percentages of fat. While a certain amount of fat is desirable for taste and texture, minced 'steak' or 'lean mince' produces a firm, well-flavoured burger that browns well and won't shrink in cooking. Whether you grill, fry or barbecue, your homemade creation will win out over the burger bar every time.

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Classic Barbecue Burgers with Oven Potato Wedges

These can also be cooked on a barbecue or in a frying pan, but watch carefully as the sauce can catch and burn easily.

Serves 4

600g lean minced beef
1 onion, finely chopped
100ml (about 6 1/2 tbsp) bottled barbecue sauce
freshly ground black pepper
4 burger buns
sliced gherkins and iceberg lettuce

For the Oven Potato Wedges

4 medium baking or roasting potatoes
2 tbsp light oil (vegetable or sunflower)
salt and pepper
barbecue sauce or tomato ketchup for serving