BigAburger-Witda-Works

Enjoying Tucson, Arizona since 1962, I’ve seen so many restaurants come and go. One great loss was my favorite burger known as the Big A Burger served up by the Big A restaurant just steps off the University of Arizona campus. Once Big A closed their doors I had to attempt my own Big A, and over the years have made countless variations of what starts with a perfect blending of fresh ground beef, Canadian bacon, fresh avocado and cheddar cheese. This personal creation is in fact a very big, very juicy, and very tasty classic that my family and friends have tagged the BigAburger-Witda-Works.

Ingredients:

Patties:

• 3 Pounds ground sirloin
• ¼ Cup butter, frozen or chilled + 5 tablespoons
• ¼ Cup Worcestershire sauce + 1 tablespoon
• 6 Slices Canadian bacon
• 6 Slices sharp cheddar cheese, cut thick
• 1 Large red onion, sliced thin
• 1 Cup guacamole, prepared fresh
• 12 Slices of a large ripe tomato, cut thin
• 6 Iceberg lettuce leaves
• 2 Teaspoons coarse ground pepper
• 1 Teaspoon olive oil
• 6 Burger buns

Guacamole:

• 2 Large ripe avocados, mashed
• 3 Cloves of garlic, crushed, or finely chopped
• ⅛ Teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ¼ Teaspoon salt
• ¼ Teaspoon coarse ground pepper
• 1 Tablespoon of fresh squeezed lime juice

Instructions:

Patties:

1. Divide beef into 12 equal portions and carefully (without overworking) loosely form into patties
2. Dice ¼ cup chilled butter into small ⅛ inch bits and spread onto 6 of the patties
3. Drizzle ¼ cup of Worcestershire sauce equally onto all 12 patties
4. Merge, sauce side up, 1 patty with butter and 1 without into 6 patties
5. Spread 2 teaspoons of coarse ground pepper over tops of burgers
6. Cover burgers and set aside at room temperature for 20-30 minutes prior to grilling
7. Make guacamole by combining avocado, garlic, seasonings and lime juice. If desired, purchased guacamole works great as well
8. Set 1 cup aside for burger assembly (eat the remaining)

Onion:

1. In a large skillet over medium high heat, place 1 tablespoon butter, sliced onions and Worcestershire sauce
2. Add ¼ teaspoon coarse ground pepper, while stirring onions until lightly caramelized
3. Set aside for final burger assembly

Assembly:

1. Prepare a gas grill by preheating to high for 5+ minutes
2. Lower grill to medium and wipe with olive oil
3. Place 6 slices of Canadian bacon on grill for 1-2 minutes on each side and remove once lightly grilled
4. Place 6 burgers onto grill for 7 minutes on first side
5. Flip burgers, divide and spread equal portions of grilled red onion onto each burger
6. Place cheese slices over onion and place grilled Canadian bacon on top of cheese for each burger
7. Cover grill, turn to medium and finish cooking for 7-8 minutes for medium slightly pink
8. Remove burgers and loosely cover while preparing burger assembly
9. Melt remaining 4 tablespoons of butter and brush inside of cut buns and lightly toast inside side of buns for 1-2 minutes
10. Plate buns, spread equal portions of guacamole onto inside of top bun
11. Place lettuce onto bottom bun, then burger, 2 tomato slices and cover with top bun to serve