Belting Burgers

Saturday means footie at the local ground and a good pie. Back with my mates for PS2 and home-style burger. Real burgers sort you out. Made with real meat they're damned good for you. Blitz the basics before you go out. Cook and stack soon as you're back. Note: you could work from scratch using mates as sous-chefs.

Thai-style chicken burger

Go Thai-style with this cool chicken. It's great as a burger but you could do it small-style as Thai-cakes. Dip in teriyaki or lime ginger drizzle for gatherings and chopstick eating.

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F/gas 6. Tip bread, spring onion, garlic into processor. Blitz.

2. Roughly chop chicken and chilli then add to mix. Blitz. (Don't overdo it. You want mince, not pulp.) Blitz briefly again with coriander.

3. Mix in lime or lemon rind, few drops of soy. Make mix into 4 flattened burger shapes by hand (or make 4 small burgers and freeze the rest).

4. Put oil to heat in pan. Fry each side 2 minutes to colour.

5. Finish in oven for 10 minutes or till cooked through. Or cook in pan till done.

6. Stick burger in a warmed bun with squeeze of lime juice, garlic mayo, bit of chilli sauce, bit of sushi ginger, rocket or lettuce.

WHY NOT?

Make spritzy salad. Blanch beansprouts in boiling water for 1 minute. Cool under tap. Drain. Mix with sliced red pepper,spring onions,chopped coriander in a bowl with a good drizzle of ginger teriyaki.

Brilliant beefburger - the real McCoy

Keep these plain meaty. Or jazz them up. You choose. Buy best minced steak from your butcher or blitz your own. My mate Fordy reckons this is the best meal he's eaten in his life. Girls I know who hate burgers eat this and fall in love - with burgers.

Method

1. Heat oil in pan. Add onion, garlic, bit of salt. Fry gently till soft. Cool.

2. Own mince: Cube beef. Stick a few cubes in processor and blitz. Repeat.

3. Slap mince (own or bought) in bowl. Add herbs, egg, ketchup, seasoning, fried onion and garlic.

4. Mix well with fork. Form into 4 burgers. Fridge for 5 minutes.

5. Meantime prep rolls, stacking stuff and relishes.

6. Preheat griddle, frying pan or grill. Brush burgers with a little oil. Cook 3 minutes each side. Repeat till cooked to taste - rare, medium rare (for good meat) or well done. Timing depends on thickness of burger. Rest for 1 minute. Stack them.

Basic stack: 1. Warmed, griddled or toasted roll. 2. Burger. 3. Sliced tomato 4. Rocket or lettuce 5. Tomato sauce, guacamole, sweet chilli sauce, mayo.

Variation: Cheese and bacon burger

At Step 6 grill four rashers smoked back bacon. Flash grill slices of Cheddar on burger. Top with bacon and sliced dill pickle.