Hometown Diner Bacon Cheese Burger

Ingredients

4 slices centre cut bacon
BURGER INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons bacon drippings
1/2 cup finely diced yellow cooking onion
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons barbecue sauce
1 tablespoon demerara cane sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon bottled steak spice
1.25 pounds ground beef, at least 15% fat content
Oil for greasing grill
4 American cheese slices
4 hamburger buns
ketchup
barbecue sauce
1/2 yellow or white onion, thinly sliced
1 tomato, thinly slices
1 ice berg lettuce, 4 leaves washed and dried, and torn into 3×3 inch pieces

Instructions

Preheat grill to medium high heat. Put bacon in barbecue safe pan, cook until crispy. Move bacon to plate and cover with foil wrap. BURGER DIRECTIONS Im medium sized mixing bowl combine bacon drippings, onion, ketchup, barbecue sauce, sugar, salt, bottled steak spice. Mix together well. Add ground beef and mix together well. Divide into 4 portions and form into 4 patties. Cook on barbecue for 4 to 5 minutes on each side or until instant read thermometer reads 160 degrees Fahrenheit. When cooked move to plate. During last minute of cooking top each burger with a slice of cheese. Place buns cut side down on grill, during last minute of cooking. TO ASSEMBLE Place buns cut side up on plate and put about a tablespoon each of ketchup and barbecue sauce on bottom half of each bun. Place burger on top of ketchup and barbecue sauce, cheese side of burger up. Cut bacon slices into 2 and place on top of cheese side of burger. Add a slice of onion, slice of tomato and a piece of the lettuce. Top with second side of the bun. Cut each burger into halves, serve immediately. Makes 4 servings of 2 halves each.