header

Stuffed Bacon Cheeseburgers

Serves 4

How to create a better burger

  • Chuck is your classic burger meat and is usually the most flavorful, simply because it has the most fat. Ground round is the leanest of the three, with sirloin in the middle range. Sirloin has a great flavor, but it is the most expensive. Fat gives beef burgers flavor and "juiciness," and if the meat is too lean, it has a tendency to dry out when cooking. Try combining half chuck and half sirloin. You get the great taste of sirloin with the juiciness of chuck.
  • When forming your meat patty, divide meat mixture into equal portions, then into balls by gently tossing from hand to hand. Gently form into 1-inch thick patties. Press the center each patty so it is slightly thinner than the edges. Burgers bulge when cooked--by forming the patties thinner in the center than around the edges, you end up with the model bun-ready shape after grilling.

1/2 cup shredded Monterey jack
4 slices cooked bacon, chopped
1 pound ground chuck (or 1/2 lb chuck and 1/2 lb sirloin for leaner and more flavorful burger)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 large Mrs Baird’s Hamburger Buns or Sandwich Buns

Ketchup, mayonnaise, and mustard, for serving Lettuce, sliced tomato, onion, and avocado, for serving

Combine the jack cheese and chopped bacon in a bowl. Put the beef in another bowl and season with salt and pepper; use a rubber spatula to mix it in. Flatten 1/4 of the meat mixture in the palm of your hand. Squeeze together about a tablespoon of the cheese and bacon mixture to make a little nugget; put it in the center of the ground beef. Bring up the sides of the patty over the filling, making sure the cheese is completely covered by the meat. Flatten slightly for a nice patty shape. Set them side by side on a platter in the refrigerator while preparing the grill.

Heat your grill. Brush the grates with oil to keep the burgers from sticking. Grill the burgers for 8 minutes per side for medium. (The USDA recommends cooking ground beef until it is no longer pink and the internal temperature is 160 degrees F.)

 

Print Version