Beer Soaked Burgers with Peruvian Aji Sauce and All the Fixin’s

Ingredients:

BURGERS:
2-1/4 pounds fresh ground Angus beef 80/20
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

THE SOAK:
2 cloves garlic, peeled and diced
1/2 cup green onions, sliced
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 cup worcestershire sauce
1 12-ounce bottle ice-cold Shiner Bock beer (or similar style beer)

AJI SAUCE:
5 Romaine lettuce leaves, center rib removed
3 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and diced
1/2 cup green onions, sliced
1/2 cup cilantro leaves
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/3 cup mayonnaise

THE FIXINS:
12 slices thick-cut applewood smoked bacon
Smoked ground black pepper
6 ounces Redneck Cheddar* (or an artisan quality sharp cheddar)
6 large eggs
Kosher salt
6 fresh bakery style buns

Instructions:

Preheat grill to 400 degrees.

Combine beef with the salt and pepper. Mix lightly but well. Shape into 6 patties. Place in a 13×9 glass baking dish. Sprinkle chopped garlic, then green onions and finally the mustard over the burgers. Press into burgers lightly. Pour Worcestershire over, then the beer. Turn burgers several times to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Make Aji sauce. Combine lettuce, jalapenos, garlic, green onions, cilantro, salt and pepper in a food processor. Blend until well combined. In a small bowl, combine with the mayonnaise. Stir well and refrigerate until needed.

Heat 12″ skillet on grill. Cook bacon in batches until crisp. Wrap in foil lined with paper towels and keep warm. Discard all but 1 tablespoon of the drippings and set the pan aside.

Remove burgers from marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle burgers liberally with smoked black pepper and grill for 4-5 minutes per side for medium, or until desired doneness, topping with cheese during the last 3 minutes of cooking.

While burgers are cooking, re-heat 12″ skillet on grill. When drippings are hot but not smoking, fry eggs until whites are set and yolk is still soft. Sprinkle lightly with salt. Remove pan from heat and keep warm. Place buns on grill until lightly toasted.

On the bottom of the bun, place the burger. Top with 2 slices of bacon, a heavy tablespoon of Ajai sauce and the fried egg. Press and twist top of bun to break yolk.
Dig in!

(*Redneck Cheddar is a beer-washed cheddar by the Veldhuizen Family Farms in Texas.)