You don’t have to be a city slicker to devour this creation. As far as burgers go, this one is not only damn sexy looking but tremendously appealing for bacon lovers. Don’t be alarmed by the tarragon aioli, it provides the biggest wow factor and combined with the candied bacon plus the tang of the pickled onions, well there’s not much left to say after that, other than there’s a dose of grilled mushrooms paired with nutty Gruyère cheese for good measure. The fact that you are adding a fried egg, so it’s an ooey gooey mess when your jaws take that first bite, well that is just an added bonus.
1 LB of chuck – ground by the butcher
8 strips of apple wood bacon
2 TSP of maple syrup
2 TBSP of brown sugar
1 TSP of Aleppo pepper
2 TSP lime juice
4 slices of Gruyère cheese
1 LB of button mushrooms – sliced
1 bag of spring lettuce mix
Tarragon Aioli– follow the basic aioli recipe here and add some fresh
chopped tarragon
Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper
4 potato buns
PICKLED ONIONS
½ medium red onion – halved and sliced
1 cup of red wine vinegar
2 TBSP lime juice
1 TBSP of Grenadine syrup
1 TBSP Kosher salt
PREHEAT THE OVEN TO 350F
In a small saucepan, add the red wine vinegar, lime juice, the sugar, salt and Grenadine and bring to a boil to dissolve the sugar. Allow to cool. Place the onions in a bowl and add the cooled brine. Allow the onions to pickle for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Place the bacon in a cookie sheet lined with foil. Whisk the maple syrup, lime juice, brown sugar and Aleppo pepper and mix well. Brush the tops of the bacon with the maple syrup mixture. Bake for about 20-25 minutes till the bacon has caramelized and it’s almost crisp. After you’ve removed the bacon from the oven and set on paper towels to drain, the bacon will crisp up a little more. The bacon can be made ahead of time and stored it at room temperature before using. Brush any remaining maple syrup mixture over the cooked bacon.
In a separate skillet, add a small amount of olive oil and brown your mushrooms with some Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper. Set aside.
Form your patties and season liberallywith Kosher salt and pepper. Create a thumbprint to make a depression in the center of each patty. Heat some sunflower oil in a cast-iron pan and heat to medium high. Sear the patties on one side for 3 minutes to achieve the first crust. Flip and grill for another 3 minutes to cook them to a medium rare. Add the Gruyère with 1 TBSP of water to the pan and cover to melt the cheese for about 30 seconds. Butter the bun and toast them on a gridle or lightly in the oven to a golden brown.
Add some oil to a griddle or a skillet and fry your eggs, ensuring the yolks are not broken and remain runny.
Allow the patties to rest for about 3 minutes before assembling the burger. Smear some aioli on the top and bottom buns, place the patty on top, then add some sautéed mushrooms, pickled onions, bacon and finish with the fried egg and some spring mix. Secure the burger with a wooden skewer.
