Head chef reveals recipe for the perfect cheeseburger

A chef and burger connoisseur has revealed his secret recipe for the humble cheeseburger – and it is as simple as picking the right Australian beef.

Jon Champ, owner and head chef at Five Points Burgers in North Sydney, shared with Daily Mail Australia his top tips for creating the perfect burger ahead of International Cheeseburger day on Tuesday.

According to Jon, mastering the subtle art of crafting a cheeseburger involves three steps: choosing premium beef, finding the ultimate smokey cheese and nailing the toasted bun.

His uncomplicated recipe, which can be cooked in the most basic of kitchens, is self-professed to be even better than the cheeseburgers at McDonald’s.

Jon Champ (pictured) has revealed the recipe behind the perfect cheeseburger recipe

According to Jon, the perfect cheeseburger can be achieved with the right meat, a milk bun, American cheese and a secret sauce recipe

PICK PREMIUM AUSTRALIAN MEAT

Jon told Daily Mail Australia the perfect cheeseburger cannot be achieved without an immaculate cut of premium Australian meat.

‘If you can, go to the butcher and ask for chuck steak or skirt steak, and have it minced with either brisket or short rib, leaving in 30 per of its fat’ Jon said.

‘And use a barbecue – or a pan if you don’t have access to one – and hold it to the heat with a flat griddle with a splash of hot canola or cottonseed oil until it is caramelised.’

To finish off the patty, Jon recommends holding down the spatula on top of the meat for around 30-40 seconds to shape it and ensure it is cooked medium rare.

It is important to find the right cut of meat to make the perfect mince patty

Jon salts the meat patties before cooking them to medium rare and ensuring they have the right pattie shape

To finish off the patty, Jon recommends holding down the spatula on top of the meat for around 30-40 seconds

USE SMOKEY AMERICAN CHEESE

No burger is complete without the right slice of tasty American cheese to melt on top and underneath the succulent meat patty.

Jon’s preferred cheese variety is an unbranded smokey American cheese from Coles or Woolworths which can melt without hassle.

‘Leave the cheese out of the fridge or put it in a pan for 1-3 seconds to quickly give it some warmth before placing it on top of the patty,’ Jon said.

Despite the common practice of melting the cheese slice under the grill, Jon says the best way is to let it melt from the heat of the freshly cooked meat patty instead.

The perfect slice of cheese to accompany the patty is an unbranded American cheese

Despite the common practice of melting the cheese slice under the grill, Jon says the best way is to let it melt from the heat of the freshly cooked meat patty instead

THE PERFECT CHEESEBURGER

INGREDIENTS

4 Milk buns

640g Australian Beef mince

8 slices smoked cheese

Five Points cheeseburger sauce

Cottonseed oil

Pinch of salt

Five Points Cheeseburger Sauce

2 tbsp aioli

2 tbsp tomato sauce

2 tbsp mustard

5 dill pickles finely chopped (unsweetened best)

METHOD

1. Roll the mince into 4 even balls, roughly 160 grams each. Then individually roll and flatten the mince between your hands to create the pattie. The flatter the better as this guarantees a more formed burger pattie after it’s cooked.

2. Heat BBQ on high, using a flat griddle. As an alternative to the barbecue, you can use a pan over gas.

3. Once hot, liberally pour the oil until it starts to show a high or medium smoke point. This is a continuous bluish smoke that will appear from the oil as it becomes hot.

4. Salt the burger pattie then place on the flat hot surface. Leave for 30 seconds, then (this is the important part) press firmly on the surface of the pattie and evenly smash it with a spatula for 2/3 seconds to get that lovely brown crust.

5. Once the edges beneath the pattie become crisp and dark, turn to cook the other side. Once turned add a cheese slice and leave for a minute to get a medium cooked pattie.

6. Toast milk bun, add another slice of cheese to the bottom bun, liberal amounts ofcheeseburger sauce to your liking, the cooked pattie and finish it with the top bun.

COOKING TIPS

• Don’t forget you can get freshly ground mince at your local butcher. Make sure to ask for the beef to be grinded through medium blade twice, to ensure it has a good texture.

• If you want to create your own mince at home with a food processor, use either chuck, sirloin or skirt coupled with brisket. The mixture of lean to fattier cuts maximises the delicious beef flavour in the cheeseburger.

FIND THE PERFECT MILK BUN

The luscious ingredients of Jon’s signature cheeseburger need to be nestled between a flawless bread bun.

The chef’s secret weapon for mouthwatering bites is using a soft milk bun from artisan bakery Brasserie Bread.

‘We went through a lot of buns, including brioche, to find the perfect one for our cheeseburger at Five Point Burgers,’ Jon explained.

‘A milk bun is a lot lighter than the traditional brioche and the trick is to toast it a little bit under the grill, but not too much, just so it has a bit of a crunch.’

Jon’s secret weapon for mouthwatering bites is using a soft milk bun from artisan bakery Brasserie Bread

‘A milk bun is a lot lighter than the traditional brioche and the trick is to toast it a little bit under the grill, but not too much, just so it has a bit of a crunch,’ Jon said

Ahead of International Cheeseburger Day, Jon Champ of Five Points Burgers in North Sydney revealed his recipe

USE THE SECRET CHEESEBURGER SAUCE

The Fivepoints special cheeseburger sauce uses a classic mix of American mustard, tomato sauce, aioli and dill pickles.

Perfect for drizzling on top of the patty and cheese, Jon mixes together American mustard, tomato sauce, aioli and dill pickles.

‘The trick is not to liquidise the sauce, just mix it in a bowl and then put half a spoonful of it on the burger,’ he said.

‘It is so simple you can cook it in any kitchen, and make sure you eat it straight away!’

Perfect for drizzling on top of the patty and cheese, Jon mixes together American mustard, tomato sauce, aioli and dill pickles

Jon says his cheeseburger recipe is a cut above the rest because of the special sauce he makes from scratch

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