To be honest .. when I think of burgers I don't always head straight to the grill but preferably classic flat top griddle or cast iron seared burgers , I also don't really care for over sized fancy ones either to where it's more of a giant meatball instead of a burger ! and lastly.. I don't make burgers very often period XD ...but about maybe once or twice every 2 months or so a craving for a smoky intensely beef burger comes to me and that's when things start getting serious around here .
I always say if your a man or woman of the Q ..you gotta have a mean burger recipe on hand that let's the world know your no simpleton when it comes to the backyard classics. I go big when it comes to burgers on the grill and take the liberty to grind my own meats if possible using the best cuts possible such as Short rib ..oxtail ..even ribeye however this weekend at the store I came across a very poorly trimmed but well marbled brisket that was a bit too small to smoke and decided to use it in my burgers, there's no going back once you had a brisket burger if you haven't had one , I normally prefer a blend of different cut's but an all brisket burger is something else . I keep things bold ..and added some Negra Modello ..dark Mexican beer that pairs excellent with anything beef, add a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce and these guy's were ready to go .
Though the core of a perfect burger begins with the meat itself ....the real star here was the chipotle glazed bacon . I call it my sweet chili bacon and I'm quite famous for it amongst peers but for seasoned pitmasters ...this is known as "Pig Candy" , a process where bacon becomes glazed with spices and cooked right in the pit until a sweet spicy glaze is set and becomes exactly what it is called ....PIG CANDY , Pig "Crack" seems a bit more appropriate to me because it is so addicting it can be served as a straight appetizer at the table on its own ..in which I have before many times! . I came across this process in a restaurant I use to work in where we'd make peppered bacon in house by sprinkling on a brown sugar & coarse black pepper mixture up top and bake them until a glaze set's . It occurred to me one day to try it with a blend of spices and chilies and do em on the grill , so I did and the legacy of my infamous sweet chili bacon began! . When making sweet chili bacon ..it is important to cook the bacon indirectly as the fattiness of the bacon & the sugars from the rub will combust into a funeral pyre instantly. Use the best bacon possible for this recipe , be sure it is hardwood smoked and of decent thickness.
The fuel of choice for these burgers was Mesquite Charcoal , it's my preferred choice for burgers & steaks. I build an extremely hot fire by raising the charcoal grate closer to the grates by placing a couple of bricks at the bottom of the grill and the charcoal grate up top , it elevates to about a 1inch distance away from grates making for a badass sear. learned this from Meathead at Amazingribs and always use it for quickly seared foods . The cheeses I added on to these burgers were a good aged white cheddar and provolone but really long as you got the cheddar to compliment the beer flavor coming from the meat any other cheese will do.
For the burgers
. Ground beef brisket (I had about 3 1/2Ib's worth)
. bottle of Dark beer such as negra modello
. Worcestershire sauce
. salt & pepper
For the Chipotle glazed bacon
. 8 to 10 strips of Hardwood smoked bacon
. 1/2 cup light brown sugar
. 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
. 1 tablespoon Chipotle powder
. 1 teaspoon ground cumin
For The Fixings
. Artisanal or freshly backed buns
. Barbecue sauce of your choice
. slices of provolone or other cheese
. slices of Age cheddar
.1) Place ground brisket in large bowl , add few splashes of the beer ..and a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce and mix till combined , take care not to overmix so much ..just enough to have the liquids well distributed.
.2) Shape the burgers into your preferred thickness and set aside until ready to tossed on grill.
.3) Mix brown sugar and the spices in a small bowl and sprinkle liberally over the bacon slices , rubbing it in lightly with your fingers. store bacon in a container until ready to use.
.4) Prepare a hot fire using mesquite lump charcoal or other fuel source and scrap to one side of the grill for indirect grilling.
.5) Place bacon over the indirect side , put lit on with vents holes over the bacon and allow to indirect grill for 20 minutes or until bacon is crisped and well glazed.
.6) Remove bacon from the grill and set aside on a platter kept warm.
.7) Season burger patties with Salt & pepper generously and place over direct heat and cook until well charred with lid down to avoid flare ups.
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After a few minutes (about 4 to 5) flip the burgers and place the one slice of each cheese on each burger and put lid back on to allow the cheese to melt ...about another 4 to 5 minutes
.9) Place some bacon ontop of each burger and remove from the grill.
.10) Toast the buns on the grill ..and enjoy!.
