How to BBQ a burger properly... and why you've probably been doing it wrong

THE SUN is blazing which means the BBQs will be out all over the country before long.

It's shaping up to be the hottest day of the year, and there is no better way to celebrate than with a little al fresco dining.

If you've already cleaned your grill in honour of 2017's first BBQ, now it's time to seriously consider the cooking.

It wouldn't be a proper affair unless you cook some burgers, but they can be tricky to get right.

We've all experienced the devastation of the charred on the outside, raw in the middle patty, but it doesn't have to be that way. Here's how to ensure you never go through that horror again, plus some advice on where you've been going wrong.

Stop the sticking

It's very common for burgers to get stuck to the BBQ during cooking, and when it happens it's a sign of too little prep.

To avoid it you need to get sandwich your patty between a paper towel to absorb the excess juice. Some of it's protein, which is what causes the sticking.

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Suck off as much as you can and then brush a little oil over it. It'll stop the protein welding to the grill.

Avoid charring

The main reason this happens is people cook burgers on too high a heat - that's why you sometimes get the flames too.

A lot of burgers are high in fat, so cooking them on a high heat will just burn the outside.

If you're using a high fat burger decrease the heat. If you want to blast your food, go for a lower fat content.

Rare is possible

Burgers don't have to be fried all the way through on a BBQ.

If you prefer yours medium or rare, make sure you cook straight from the fridge.

That way the centre will be cold when you start heating it, so it won't be as quickly penetrated.

Putting the cheese on wrong

Yes, this is possible.

If you like cheese, bung it under the patty not on top.

That way it'll stop the burger juice flowing in the bun and making it soggy.

There's also a high probability you've been cooking sausages all wrong, and that's before we've even got started on the issues with bacon.