Slice & Grill Bacon Cheeseburgers
2 pounds ground beef, no more than 85 percent lean
¼ cup finely chopped onion
1 egg, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons catsup
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
16 slices bacon
8 hamburger buns, cut in half
In a large mixing bowl, use clean hands to combine all ingredients except bacon. Use a gentle touch and work the mixture until just combined. Form the mixture into a log, about 10 inches long. Seal tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Before it’s time to cook the burgers, prepare bacon slices. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a large baking sheet that has sides with aluminum foil. Arrange bacon slices in a single layer on the baking sheet. Cook the bacon in preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes. Bacon should be partially cooked but still pliable enough to wrap around burgers.
Remove ground beef log from refrigerator. Unwrap and use a sharp knife to slice into 8 rounds. Use two slices of bacon to wrap around each hamburger patty, using wooden toothpicks to fasten the ends that meet.
Grill the burgers over direct heat, medium to medium-high, turning once, until nicely charred and cooked through. About 1 minute before the burgers are done, place the buns directly on the rack, cut sides down, and grill until toasted. Assemble burgers on the buns with embellishments of choice. Makes 8 burgers.
Tips from the cook
For safety purposes, the USDA recommends cooking ground beef to an internal temperature of 160 degrees. Just don’t cook the burgers until they are so dry they become hard disks.
Use your fingers to make a slight depression (about ½-inch deep) in the center of each burger before placing them on the grill. This helps keep the burgers flat during cooking.
Do not be tempted to smash the burgers with a spatula as they cook. You’ll squeeze all the flavorful juices from the burgers.
When my mother-in-law made these burgers, I don’t think she had a choice when she purchased ground beef about how fat or lean it was. I’ve discovered ground beef with some fat in it makes the juiciest burgers. I use 85 percent lean ground beef for these burgers.
