Don’t let the fast food chains hold a monopoly on America’s hamburger culture. A great burger is worth slowing down for.

For celebrity chef Bobby Flay, who has a new book on the subject and has recently opened Bobby’s Burger Palaces in several locations, making the perfect burger involves treating “each component with the thought and respect it deserves.”

That means making wise choices on the type of ground beef, patty making technique, cooking method, and bread and topping selections.

Start with the beef. Most chefs agree that ground chuck, usually labeled as 80 percent lean and 20 percent fat, is the way to go. That’s because fat equals flavor and moistness. Going with anything leaner will produce a dry and tasteless burger.

Flay recommends purchasing the meat from shops where it is ground fresh daily. Stay away from pre-packaged or pre-formed patties, which Flay says can be inconsistent in freshness, texture and flavor.

Bruce Aidells, author of “The Complete Meat Cookbook,” agrees that ground chuck is the way to go, but says that for the ultimate burger you can grind your own at home using a food processor.

He suggests purchasing boneless chuck with the outer fat (called the fat cap) attached. He recommends making sure the beef is very cold before grinding it. He even suggests chilling the food processor blade for 30 minutes in the freezer before starting.

Cut the meat and fat into 3/4-inch chunks and grind in small batches using the pulse function. Combine the batches and gently mix. Using this cut of beef and grinding in this manner should produce a ground beef that is roughly 80 percent lean.

When it comes to shaping the burger, both Aidells and Flay call for a fairly flat patty no more than 3/4-inch thick. Flay takes the extra step of making a deep thumbprint in the center of each burger. This helps keep the burger from swelling into a football-like shape while cooking.

For seasoning, Flay sprinkles the outside with kosher salt and ground black pepper, sometimes a spice rub, too. But he never mixes into the meat any spices, condiments, onions, garlic or fillers, such as breadcrumbs. Do that, and you’ve got meatloaf, he says.

Aidells finds that gently mixing kosher salt and ground black pepper into the meat itself gives the burger a superior flavor.

A great burger can be cooked in a cast iron skillet or under the broiler, but a grill lends an unsurpassed smoky flavor to the beef.

Flay says that the perfect burger should be a contrast in textures, which means a tender, juicy interior and a crusty, slightly charred exterior. This is achieved by cooking the meat directly over very hot heat. He also advises flipping the burgers only once in order to give the heat a chance to form a good crust on the outside.

And as tempting as it is, says Flay, don’t press down on the burgers with your spatula; it not only squeezes out the flavorful juices, but also can cause dangerous flare-ups.

Blue Cheeseburger with Fried Pickled Onions

For the onions:

1 1/2 cups white vinegar

1/2 cup sugar

2 bay leaves

2 cups water

2 medium red onions, thinly sliced into rings

1/2 cup Wondra flour (also called instant flour)

1 teaspoon ground dry mustard

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup vegetable oil

For the burgers:

1 1/2 pounds 85 percent lean ground beef

3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Vegetable oil

Salt, to taste

1/2 cup crumbled Stilton or Gorgonzola blue cheese

4 seeded hamburger buns

To prepare the french fried onions, in a medium saucepan combine the vinegar, sugar and bay leaves. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in second medium saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Add the onions and blanch for 1 minute. Transfer to a colander to drain, then add the onions to the vinegar mixture and simmer for 1 minute.

Remove from heat and let cool in the pickling liquid for at least 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the Wondra flour, dry mustard and salt.

In a 12-inch skillet, heat the oil over medium-high.

In small batches, shake the onions to remove excess liquid and dredge them through the flour mixture so they are completely coated. Fry the onions in the hot oil, turning them once, until they are golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Adjust the heat as necessary to keep the onions from burning. Transfer to paper towels to drain.

To prepare the burgers, heat a gas grill to medium-high or prepare a charcoal fire.

In a large bowl, gently but thoroughly mix the ground beef and pepper. Shape into 4 patties, each about 3/4 inch thick.

To oil the grill grates, coat a folded paper towel with oil, hold it with tongs and rub it over the grates.

Grill the burgers, with the grill covered, until well browned on the underside, 4 to 5 minutes. With a metal spatula, carefully flip the burgers. Grill for another 3 minutes,

Top each burger with blue cheese crumbles. Grill 2 to 3 minutes more, or until the burger registers 160 degrees at the thickest part.

Meanwhile, toast the buns at the edge of the grill. Season the burgers with salt, top with the onions and serve the on the toasted buns. Serves 4.