James Martin’s ultimate burger is 800g of the best steak mince shaped into four thick patties, chargrilled on a barbecue, and served in toasted brioche buns with homemade mustard mayonnaise, Monterey Jack, gherkins and chilli relish. The patties chill for an hour, cook in 3-4 minutes a side, and the whole thing serves four.
The recipe comes from BBC’s Home Comforts, and Martin has real credentials here: he once worked in one of the oldest diners in America, and says that burger was the reason the place was still standing. His lesson from that kitchen is blunt: “burgers are about great meat, seasoning and nothing else.” No onion in the patty, no egg to bind, no breadcrumbs.
The homemade mustard mayo is the upgrade that takes this from a good burger to his “ultimate.” You whisk egg yolks with Dijon, then drizzle in rapeseed oil to build a proper mayonnaise from scratch, finishing with beer mustard and lemon juice. It’s thicker, sharper and more flavourful than anything from a jar, and it ties the whole sandwich together.
James Martin Ultimate Burger In A Brioche Bun
Course: Lunch, DinnerCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Easy4
servings1
hour20
minutes8
minutes1200
kcal1
hour28
minutesJames Martin’s ultimate burger from BBC’s Home Comforts, inspired by the American diner where he once worked. Pure seasoned steak mince, chargrilled, with homemade mustard mayonnaise, Monterey Jack and chilli relish in a toasted brioche bun. Serves four.
Ingredients
800g/1lb 12oz best-quality beef steak, minced
3 egg yolks
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
300ml/10½fl oz rapeseed oil
25g/1oz beer mustard or wholegrain mustard
½ lemon, juice only
2 tbsp vegetable oil
4 brioche rolls, cut in half
4 tbsp ready-made mild chilli relish
½ round lettuce, leaves separated
2 tomatoes, sliced
200g/7oz cheese, preferably Monterey Jack, sliced
8 gherkins, drained, sliced
1 red onion, peeled, sliced
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Shape the patties:Season the mince with salt and pepper and mix with your hands. Divide into four balls and press into patties between your palms. Cover and chill for one hour.
- Light the barbecue:Thirty minutes before eating, light the barbecue and let the flames die down to glowing coals. (Or heat a griddle pan over high heat.)
- Make the mustard mayo:Whisk the egg yolks and Dijon mustard together, then gradually add the rapeseed oil in a thin stream, whisking continuously until the mixture thickens to a mayonnaise. Stir in the beer mustard and lemon juice, then season.
- Grill the patties:Rub with vegetable oil and cook on the barbecue for 3-4 minutes each side, or until done to your liking.
- Toast the buns:Place each brioche cut-side down on the barbecue for one minute, until charred.
- Assemble:Spread chilli relish on the base of each bun, add lettuce, tomato, the burger, a slice of Monterey Jack, a generous dollop of mustard mayo, gherkins and red onion, then close with the bun lid. Skewer with a wooden stick if needed to hold it together.
FAQs
Why no egg, onion or breadcrumbs in the patty?
That’s Martin’s whole philosophy. He learned in an American diner that burgers are about great meat, seasoning and nothing else. Adding egg, onion or breadcrumbs dilutes the beef flavour and changes the texture from a proper steak patty to something closer to a meatball. Salt, pepper and the best mince you can afford are all that go in.
The key is the meat quality: he specifies “best-quality beef steak, minced,” which means mince from a good steak cut with enough fat to stay juicy, not the leanest supermarket pack. A good 15-20% fat content keeps the burger moist on the grill without needing binders. If the mince is too lean, the patties dry out and crumble.
How do I make the mayonnaise without it splitting?
Patience and a thin stream. Whisk the egg yolks and Dijon together first to create a stable base, then add the rapeseed oil in the thinnest trickle you can manage, whisking hard and continuously. The mixture thickens as the oil emulsifies into the yolks, and once it starts holding together you can pour slightly faster.
If it splits (goes thin and greasy), start again with a fresh yolk in a clean bowl and whisk the split mixture into it gradually, which usually rescues it. Have everything at room temperature, since cold yolks and cold oil emulsify less willingly. The finished mayo should be thick, light and glossy, nothing like shop-bought.
Barbecue or griddle pan?
Martin designs this for the barbecue, where the smoky heat from charcoal gives the patty depth you can’t replicate indoors. He says to let the flames die down so the coals are just glowing, which gives an even, fierce radiant heat rather than leaping flames that char the outside and leave the centre raw.
A griddle pan over high heat is his stated alternative and works well. Get it properly smoking before the patties go on, oil the meat rather than the pan, and press them down gently for good contact. Either way, 3-4 minutes a side suits a medium-rare to medium burger; adjust for your preference.
Why Monterey Jack cheese?
It’s Martin’s deliberate choice for the same reason American diners use it: Monterey Jack melts smoothly and evenly without going oily or stringy, and its mild, creamy flavour supports the beef rather than competing with it. It’s the classic American burger cheese for good reason.
If you can’t find Monterey Jack, mild cheddar or a young Gouda melts well too. For a stronger hit, a mature cheddar or a slice of Gruyère works, and both would sit nicely alongside the mustard mayo. Martin keeps the cheese mild here because the chilli relish and mustard are doing the flavour work.
Why chill the patties for an hour?
Chilling firms the fat in the mince, which helps the patties hold their shape on the hot grill rather than falling apart or shrinking dramatically. A warm, soft patty is harder to handle and more likely to crumble when you flip it.
It also means the centre stays slightly cool when it first hits the heat, which gives you a better gradient from charred crust to juicy interior. If you skip the chill, the patties cook through too fast and you lose that contrast. This is the same chill-before-cooking logic behind his Gruyère brioche sandwich, where the assembled sandwich holds together better when cold before hitting the pan.
What should I serve alongside?
Martin serves the burger solo, which is enough: an 800g patty split four ways in a loaded brioche bun is a substantial meal. If you want sides, proper chips (thick-cut, twice-fried) are the diner-authentic choice, or go with his corned beef hash with beer-battered onion rings if you want the onion rings as a side on their own.
For a full barbecue spread, cook these burgers alongside his beef ribs with barbecue sauce and his chargrilled T-bone steak, which gives you three cuts of beef three ways over the same coals, and finish with mango sorbet to cut the richness.
