A good burger is a glorious thing. The confluence of savory meat, fresh toppings, soft bread and flavorful condiments creates a nearly perfect bite. I say “nearly” because the burger-eating experience can’t go on forever. Eventually, you’ve eaten the thing, and that’s when the sadness sets in (that is, until you fix yourself another).

The thing about burgers is that burger nirvana teeters on the knife’s edge of mediocrity and greatness. Of course, it’s easy to make an OK burger, but making a great one is — surprisingly — just as simple.

The blueprint for a great burger starts with — what else? — the meat. We won’t condescend to you: You probably know better than cooking from frozen — those dry, relatively tasteless pucks.

The heart and soul of a burger, after all, is its juiciness. And while prepackaged ground beef will do in a pinch, it’s not always clear when it was ground.

Your best bet? Ask your butcher or someone at the meat counter to grind your preferred meat blend. Whether you opt for chuck, brisket or a combination of meats, keep in mind fat content: You want at least 15 percent fat.

But why stop there? Go for the gold with an 80-20 ratio for maximum juiciness.

When it comes to seasoning, salt and pepper are all you’ll need. You’re not mixing meatloaf, so don’t bother gilding the lily.

Tenderly, gingerly flatten your patty to be just larger than your bun (burgers contract!), about 4 inches in diameter.

At this point you’re going to either grill or griddle the burger. Sure, a searing-hot grill imparts smoky flavors, but the loss of liquid seems a terrible waste; a flat surface cooks the burger in its own juices.

Whatever method you pick, season the meat generously on both sides and throw it on the hot surface. Sear each side to desired doneness. Personally, rare to me­d­- ium-rare is ideal, but I don’t know your life … you might like it well-done! (The quote “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it” comes to mind.)

For a bun you can go standard. Or pick a potato roll, brioche, rye or pretzel bun: No matter how you roll, butter the insides and throw it on the grill or grill pan. Don’t argue.

And you’re done! Or are you? If the patty is the canvas, the condiments are your colors. Of course you can go classic cheese (American or cheddar), crisp iceberg lettuce and a just-ripe tomato, plus ketchup, mustard and mayo — like the Three Musketeers of Flavortown, they’ll never betray you.

But we’re here to up your burger game. Get artistic with our mix-and-match categories here. Pick a cheese, a topping, a sauce. Layer as you like.

Go!

———

Toppings

Pay some attention to your accompaniments and add deeper flavors to each burger bite:

>> Grill: Seed and core a jalapeno (or any pepper) before blistering it over the flame (the dying embers of your grill would work well), which will tame the pepper’s heat while coaxing out sweet, smoky flavors. Grill a slice or more of fresh pineapple. Then chop and mix with the pepper for an easy salsa upgrade.

>> Saute: Steak Diane is one of those ’70s-era dishes, but its flavors — thanks to a caramel-like sauce — are perfect on today’s burgers. Rather than prepare the dish just for the sauce, it’s easier to saute earthy mushrooms in butter with a sliced shallot, finished off with a glug of brandy (or even a nutty, semidry sherry). The alcohol contributes a little more richness to the topping, marrying its flavors with the mushrooms and helping deepen the caramelization in the pan.

>> Pickle: “Quick pickling” is a handy skill. While store-bought pickles can be great, the quick pickle allows you to play with different veggies, slices and flavors.

Think of it this way: A quick pickle is basically a marinade for vegetables. Sliced red onion on a burger can be too acidic and astringent, an aggressive component that can throw a burger’s flavors out of whack. Some time in a brine, though, softens its flavors while keeping its crunch.

In a clean jar, combine 1 cup apple cider vinegar and 1 teaspoon each salt and brown sugar. Add 6 white or black peppercorns, 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper and 1 sliced red onion. Set aside for 30 minutes to allow flavors to marry.

Pickled onions can be prepared days in advance; they will keep for three weeks refrigerated.

———

Cheese

Put down the basic American cheese. You’ve had enough burgers with the stuff, and it’s definitely not going anywhere. It’s time to branch out.

>> Go for the gold with oozy, gooey raclette, the Swiss cow’s-milk cheese that is, in a word, molten. It’s basically like pouring a cauldron of fondue on your burger, and what’s wrong with that?

>> For something less messy (napkins were invented for burgers, according to history, probably), opt for another Swiss cheese, Gruyere. Sweet and nutty when young, aged Gruyere contributes rich, earthy flavors to a burger.

>> Stilton is an assertive choice that will reward you with creaminess, funky aromatics and an injection of salty goodness (and it goes great with sweeter toppings).

———

Sauce

Burgers should be juicy enough to stand on their own, but if you’re looking to amp up the flavor quotient, a sauce is your best bet. These choices go beyond mayo, mustard or ketchup.

>> Chimichurri: Argentines swear by this piquant, verdant green herb sauce usually found on steak. A favorite adaptation is garlic (to taste) with a handful each of parsley and cilantro, juice from half a lemon, a glug of red wine vinegar and enough olive oil to yield a chunky, aromatic puree.

>> Bacon jam: Bacon on a burger is just one of those things that never goes out of fashion. Mix things up a bit with bacon jam, a salty-sweet hit of meaty bacon and caramelized alliums (the family of vegetables made up of onions, shallots and garlic). And while it takes time to make some at home, you can easily find jars of the stuff in grocery stores and specialty markets.

>> “Marrownaise”: Double down on the beef flavor with an aioli boosted by extra-savory roasted marrow. After sourcing two or three (go crazy!) 4-inch pieces of marrow from your butcher, roast in a 425-degree oven for 30 minutes. Allow to cool, then scoop out the marrow into 2 cups of your favorite mayo, along with one clove finely minced garlic and 1 tablespoon minced parsley. Apply liberally to your burger.