There are no secrets to this burger recipe—this is simply a burger I like to cook on my grill, and then eat with a cold beer while watching the surf roll in.

　　

Ingredients

Serves 4

　　4 slices aged Cheddar cheese

　　1 onion, cut into thick slices

　　4 slices of uncooked bacon

　　butter, for the rolls

　　4 hamburger buns with sesame seeds, halved

　　tomato ketchup or barbecue sauce, to serve

　　8 slices vine-ripened tomato

　　8 slices cornichons

　　8 large arugula leaves

　　

Patties

1 3/4 pounds ground chuck

　　2 garlic cloves, crushed

　　pinch of red pepper flakes

　　2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley

　　pinch of dried oregano

　　1 egg

　　1/4 cup finely diced onion

　　2-4 tablespoons fresh bread crumbs

　　1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

　　

Step 1

To make the patties, mix all the ingredients in a large bowl and form into 4 patties.

　　

Step 2

Set up the outdoor grill for direct-heat cooking over medium-high heat. Place the patties on the grill and cook for 5 minutes, then turn and continue cooking for a couple of minutes until just done. A minute before you finish cooking the patties, lay the cheese slices on the patties and let melt. Remove and set aside to keep warm.

　　

Step 3

Meanwhile, place a griddle, plancha or piastra suitable for an outdoor grill on the grill to preheat. Cook the onion on the griddle until golden. Cook the bacon on the griddle to your liking.

　　

Step 4

Butter the rolls and place, butter side down, on the grill and cook until just golden with a bit of crunch to them. Remove and construct your burger starting with some sauce, the patties with cheese, then the bacon, onion, tomato, cornichons and arugula.

　　From My Grill: Outdoor Cooking Australian Style by Pete Evans. Text copyright © 2009 Peter Evans; photography copyright © 2009 Anson Smart. First published in 2009 by Murdoch Books Australia; first published in the United States in 2011 by Weldon Owen, a division of Bonnier.