You've got sunshine, good friends, and a grill.

All you need now is an excuse for a party.

Why not try a burger cook-off? It's fun, it's easy, and it's a great excuse to drink beer in the sun.

You don't drink beer? That's OK, a burger cook-off isn't really about the beer. It isn't even about the burgers. But the burgers are the motivation that draws everyone together, the theme that provides the excuse for the get-together. And a little culinary competition is always fun as long as no one takes it too seriously.

It's just burgers.

As its name implies, a burger cook-off is a backyard contest to determine who can make the best hamburger. If you're the host, it will be up to you to provide the prizes, but they can be modest -- some barbecue tools for second place, say, and maybe a whimsical apron for third.

First place could be something a little more substantial, if you have the money for it, but don't make it too desirable or the fun will get swallowed up by the competition. A trophy would be nice, especially a silly trophy: One burger cook-off awards a handmade foam-rubber hat in the shape of a hamburger that is passed down from year to year, from winner to winner. It's more than a little tacky, sure, but that is part of its charm and the winners receive it with goofy smiles and a little pride.

The basics of a burger cook-off are simple. The contestants cook the burgers according to their own secret recipes. Each set of burgers should be labeled with an identifying number, and then they should be cut into bite-sized pieces -- don't forget the toothpicks. Helpful volunteers (and this is a good job for children) circulate throughout the crowd with plates full of samples. Each plate should contain the samples of just one contestant, and the plate is labeled with that sample number.

The samples can be brought out two or three plates at a time while the next contestants cook their burgers. A piece of scrap paper will help the voters keep track of what they liked and didn't like about each one, and then they can vote for, say, their top three choices.

The more people who come to the party, the merrier, but if you have more than 10 or 12 cooking contestants, you will risk over stuffing the guests. Even bite-sized tastes start to add up after awhile.

You might find it easiest to have the contestants make their own patties at home before bringing them to your house, as long as you have a way to keep them cool before putting them on the grill. That way, you can also get the contestants to buy their own meat, which is not an insignificant consideration. You'll have to know how many people are coming, so they can buy enough meat to make bite-sized pieces for all. Because it is a contest, it is far better to have too much of each sample than too little.

Don't forget the beverages, the side dishes, and the desserts. You can provide them yourself or ask people who aren't competing in the cook-off to bring them as pot-luck.

The details of the actual contest are up to you, but it might be easiest to taste the burgers if they are served without toppings or bread.

For creating your own winning recipe, remember that hamburgers have a strong taste, so it is important to use ingredients that can assert themselves in the face of the beef. Subtlety is not called for in a burger cook-off. Bolder is better.

If toppings are not part of the contest, you will have two ways to make your burgers stand out: You can mix your seasonings in with the meat before forming patties, or you can put something suitably gooey in the middle to ooze out when it is bitten, like a jelly doughnut. Just remember if you are putting something in the middle that the burger will be cut into small pieces and that you will need to spread the filling (usually a cheese) close to the edge.

Nothing brings out the flavor of meat like salt and pepper, so don't forget to show a liberal hand with these most common seasonings. Burger cook-offs have been lost because some of the entries haven't had enough salt. Garlic can taste too raw and onions can be stringy, so a contest like this is one of the few occasions when it is generally -- but not always -- better to use onion powder and garlic powder.

Some powdered spices and flavorings also taste sharp unless they have been cooked first, and the relatively brief time it takes a hamburger to cook does not always do the trick. For an award-winning burger, then, you might first want to heat the spice in a little bit of oil and add that mixture to the meat. If so, begin with lower-fat meat to compensate for the oil's added fat.

As always, try to refrain from pressing down on your burgers with a spatula while they're on a grill. They do make that great sizzle sound when you do it, but the sound you hear is the juice (and thus the flavor) being squeezed out of the burgers and boiling away on the grill.

Serious burgermeisters know that it is best to manipulate the raw meat as little as possible when forming the patties. Unfortunately, when adding ingredients to the meat and especially when putting cheese in the middle, it is impossible to avoid overworking the meat. All you can do is try to squeeze it as little as possible -- but be sure to pack the patties enough so they don't fall apart on the grill.

And remember, a lot of people like simple flavors in their burgers, so it is possible to get too fancy in a cook-off. For one a couple of years ago, I adapted a Wolfgang Puck recipe using blue cheese and a port wine reduction. I thought it tasted great.

It scored well, but it lost to a guy who just dumped a packet of Lipton onion soup mix into his meat.

Contact Daniel Neman at dneman@theblade.com or 419-724-6155.

First Published June 14, 2011, 4:30 a.m.