1. Chill the beef well before forming the patties. Wash your hands well, and then form the patties. Make each patty by forming about half a pound of ground chuck into a tight ball about the size of a baseball.

2. Firmly press ball into flat cake, first between your hands, then onto clean cutting board.

3. Use a spatula or other straight edged tool to “pull in” the sides of the patty so that they remain together and tight.

4. Form patties about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick. Make the diameter about 1/2 inch larger than the bun to allow for shrinkage.

5. Lightly oil the bars on the grill using vegetable oil on a paper towel.

6. Season the burgers on both sides with salt and pepper. Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper give the best flavor.

7. Place the burgers on the grill over direct heat. Cook about 3 to 4 minutes per side, turning once.

8. Do not press down on the burgers with the spatula during cooking. This only squeezes out the juices.