Recipe: Après-Ski Triple Ginger Bacon Burgers
Après-Ski Triple Ginger Bacon Burgers with Rosemary Onion Rings and Brie
“Not only do I love the taste of a great burger, but also the textural combination of the ingredients and how it ‘feels’ in my mouth. I wanted to create a burger that was sweet and spicy, crunchy and juicy, with a chewy candied bacon topping, heavenly from the first bite to the last. Beware! This burger is deliciously addicting!”
Congratulations to Jennifer Gentry, a school bus driver from Steamboat Springs, Colorado, who’s one of five finalists in our 2014 Build a Better Burger Recipe Contest.
Here’s the inspiration behind her burger recipe, Après-Ski Triple Ginger Bacon Burgers:
Serves: 6
Pair with: Sutter Home Pinot Grigio
INGREDIENTS
Candied Ginger Bacon
12 slices of Beeler’s Thick Sliced Uncured Bacon (or other thick bacon)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup crystalized ginger
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Rosemary Onion Rings
1 (13.5 ounce) Alexia Crispy Onion Rings with Panko Breading & Sea Salt
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 small sprigs fresh rosemary, chopped
Lemon Ginger Drizzle
1 cup mayonnaise
2 small cloves fresh garlic, peeled and chopped
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh lemon zest
1 teaspoon Cholula Hot Sauce Original
Burger Patties
2 pounds ground beef (I prefer organic 85% lean)
2 tablespoons premium steak sauce
1/4 cup Sutter Home Pinot Grigio
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons Mrs. Dash Extra Spicy Seasoning Blend
6 tablespoons cold butter, cut into 6 pieces
Olive oil, for brushing the grill
1 (4.4 ounce) Président Le Brie Spread
6 sweet Italian bakery hamburger buns
6 inside leaves of Boston lettuce
INSTRUCTIONS
Prepare a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill with a cover, or preheat a gas grill to medium-high. Preheat oven to 350 F.
To make the candied ginger bacon, cover a large cookie sheet with foil and place a cooling rack on top. Lay bacon strips on top of the rack, being careful not to overlap. Place the remaining 4 ingredients in a food processor and run on high for about 10-15 seconds. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the bacon slices and press lightly, making sure that the slices are covered. Bake for about 25 minutes or until bacon is nicely browned and thoroughly cooked. Remove from the oven and cool.
Raise the temperature of the oven to 400 F.
To make the rosemary onion rings, spread the onion rings on a cookie sheet, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with rosemary. Bake according to the instructions on the package.
To make the lemon ginger drizzle, place all of the ingredients in a food processor and process on high for 10 to 15 seconds. Transfer to a small resealable bag and refrigerate.
To make the patties, place the ground beef in a large mixing bowl. Add the next 5 ingredients and gently mix with hands, just until blended. Do not over mix! Divide the mixture into 6 even balls. Make an indentation into the center of each ball and insert 1 tablespoon of butter. Gently bring the meat around the butter and shape into a patty slightly larger than the size of the bun.
Brush the grill rack with olive oil. Place the patties on the rack. Close the lid and cook for approximately 4 minutes on one each side. During the last 2 minutes of cooking, spread about 1 tablespoon of brie cheese on each patty and place buns, cut side down, on the outer edges of the cooking rack to toast.
To assemble the burgers, remove the lemon ginger drizzle from the refrigerator and cut a small tip off of one of the corners of the bag. Squeeze equal portions on each bun bottom followed by a lettuce leaf and a cheese-topped patty. Top each patty with 2 slices of bacon, 2 to 3 onion rings and additional lemon ginger drizzle. Add the bun tops and serve.
