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The May long weekend is here at last, which means it's time to open the cottage and, more importantly, to fire up the barbecue.

The first thing many of us slap on the grill is hamburgers, and everyone has their preferred method of preparation. Some use breadcrumbs and egg, some put cheese, onions or mushrooms in the meat, while others just experiment with toppings.

While trying new ways of preparing this old favourite can be lots of fun, I decided to find out what truly makes the definitive perfect burger.

So, with the help of my recipe tester, Eshun Mott, and my editing assistant, Nancy Won, I have been slaving over the grill - experimenting with cooking times, fillings and the kinds of beef. After much trial and error, we have decided on our favourite: pure, unadulterated Wagyu beef.

A few things to remember: You need fat content in hamburger meat to make it juicy and tasty. Some very expensive restaurants put foie gras in the burger's centre to add fat to leaner eats like ground sirloin or round. Tasty but not practical for the home cook.

Some people like to add flavourings to their burger mixture. We tried adding sautéed onions and garlic, wilted spinach, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, Asian flavourings such as soy and ginger and our favourite herbs. We stuffed the middle of our burgers with cheese, sautéed mushrooms, even braised short ribs. Ultimately, while these all make very different and often tasty burgers, they do mask the flavour of good-quality beef. In the end, we decided that we would rather give people the option of garnishing their burgers with these additions after they're cooked.

In our experiments, we used three different kinds of beef: 1) Wagyu, a powerfully marbled, highly flavoured beef from Japan that is now bred in Canada too. Though high in fat, the beef contains good Omega 3 and 6 fats as well as a percentage of unsaturated fat.

2) A mixture of chuck and sirloin that we ground ourselves at home. We ground the meat coarsely for a juicier end result and did not trim the fat.

3) Store-bought ground chuck.

We tried adding egg, breadcrumbs, sautéed onions and garlic to one batch of pre-ground chuck, but it turned out like meatloaf on a bun - tasty, but not what were looking for. When we added barbecue sauce, salt and pepper to the chuck, we found the sauce overwhelmed the flavour of the meat.

The Wagyu was the hands-down winner. We loved this sensational burger. It had great mouth feel and shirt-staining juices even when cooked well done (although it was best medium rare). The big drawback is the price, which hovers at around $10 or more per pound.

A close second was the burger made with home-ground chuck and sirloin. It had excellent flavour and texture, and a delicious exterior crust.

The pre-ground chuck produced a basic hamburger that was distinctly underwhelming after the Wagyu.

Herewith, a few tips for the perfect grilled hamburger:

1) To make sure the hamburger does not fall apart, handle it very lightly.

2) If you are worried about bacteria, cook your burgers well done. Personally, I love my hamburgers a little pink in the centre, so I feel safer if I grind my own meat and use it right away.

3) Spread your hamburger meat into a rectangle, season with salt and pepper, and then mix it. It combines the seasonings more accurately. Grill burgers on high heat and only turn once. THE PERFECT BURGER

No burger is complete without toppings and a bun, of course. Keep condiments to a minimum: caramelized onions and Comté cheese (which has a nutty taste) are a brilliant combination. As for the bun, you don't want one that fights with the burger and detracts from the nice meaty taste (no whole wheat). Think of it as a background that merely holds everything together. It should have texture, and not be so squishy that it sticks to the meat. My favourite are Ace Bakery burger/sandwich rolls (http://www.acebakery.com).

Wagyu beef is available at specialty butcher shops.

Adjust the quantity of salt and pepper to suit your own taste. If you're unsure, season and then fry a small piece of your burger mixture to test for seasoning.

What you need

750 grams (1½ pounds) ground Wagyu beef

1 teaspoon kosher salt (or to taste)

½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper What you do

Preheat barbecue to high. Season beef with salt and pepper. Form into 4 1-inch-thick patties and grill for 5 to 7 minutes a side or until desired degree of doneness. Serves 4.

THE JUST RIGHT BURGER

This recipe requires you to grind the meat yourself.

What you need

375 grams (12 ounces chuck), cut into 1 inch pieces

375 grams(12 ounces sirloin), cut into 1-inch pieces

1 teaspoon of kosher salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper What you do

Place meat in a food processor and pulse about 10 times or until meat looks coarsely ground. Season with salt and pepper. Preheat barbecue to high. Form into 4 1-inch-thick patties and grill for 5 to 7 minutes per side or until desired degree of doneness. Serves 4.

For the All Canadian Version, serve with sliced red onions, sliced tomatoes, Dijon mustard, pickles and cole slaw.

Here are my favourite sides.

OUR BEST ONION RINGS

The definitive onion rings.

Depending on your taste, the onion slices can be thick or thin. Soaking them in the buttermilk for 15 minutes removes some of the onion's sharpness, but omit this step if you don't have time.

what you need

2 Spanish or Vidalia onions

1 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon chili powder

Pinch cayenne

Vegetable oil for frying

1 cup all-purpose flour

Salt and freshly ground pepper what you do

Slice onion into ¼-inch thick rounds. Separate into rings. Place buttermilk in dish and add chili and cayenne. Add onion rings and soak for 15 minutes.

Heat 1-inch vegetable oil in skillet or wok on medium-high heat. Place flour, salt and pepper in plastic bag. Add rings and shake well.

When a cube of bread turns brown in 15 seconds, add rings to oil a few at a time and fry until golden and crisp, about 1 to 2 minutes.

Drain on paper towels, salt and serve immediately. Or prepare in advance, and reheat on a baking sheet in 400 F oven for 5 to 7 minutes. Serves 4 to 6.

SENSATIONAL SAUTÉED

MUSHROOMS

This is my ultimate method for cooking regular button or brown mushrooms, which often lack flavour.

what you need

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound cremini (brown) mushrooms, sliced

Salt to taste

1 teaspoon chopped garlic

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1 tablespoon butter

Freshly ground pepper to taste what you do

Heat a skillet on medium-high heat until hot. Add oil. When it is hot, add mushrooms and salt.

Sauté until mushrooms exude their liquid.

Continue to cook until liquid evaporates, about 3-5 minutes.

Stir in garlic, parsley, butter and pepper and cook 1 minute longer. Serve immediately. Serves 4.