Simple but Delicious Cheese Burgers

By Todd Barron @ FoodieCuisine.com

Homemade Burger

Cheese burgers are an American classic but really good ones are elusive. We’ve all had burgers that tasted like shoe leather or ones that had the flavor of cardboard. Over the years I’ve developed a burger that I think is perfectly tender, juicy, and flavorful. Without further ado, here is the recipe:

Spice Rub

½ cup sweet paprika
2 Tablespoons Sea Salt
2 Teaspoons Cayenne Pepper
2 Tablespoons Garlic Powder
2 Teaspoons Ground Celery Seed
1 Tablespoon Dried Thyme
2 Teaspoons Fresh Ground Black Pepper
2 Teaspoons Chili Powder

Toppings

6 Slices Smoked Bacon
6 Large Buns
3 Tablespoons butter, melted

Meat

4 ½ Pounds 80/20 Angus Ground Beef (80% Meat, 20% Fat)
4 ½ Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
3 One Ounce Packets of Hidden Valley Ranch Salad Dressing and Seasoning Mix

Spice Rub

Combine all spice rub ingredients into a bowl and mix thoroughly. Cover and set aside.

Toppings

Cook the bacon in a pan for 5 minutes and flip once seared. Cook for an additional 2 minutes or until seared. Make sure the internal temperature of the bacon slices reaches at least 170 degrees to ensure doneness and is crispy. Remove from the heat and set on a paper towel lined plate to drain.

Meat

Put the meat into a large mixing bowl. Pour the Worcestershire sauce over the top of the meat. Open the seasoning packets and pour them over the top of the meat. Using a large metal spoon, combine the ingredients for one minute. Be careful to not make the mixture dense. Let the meat rest for five minutes.

Form six balls of meat that weighs ¾ pounds each.

Place a sheet of wax paper on a safe cutting board. Place a ball of meat on the paper and top it with another sheet of wax paper. Use a plate to press down slowly on the top sheet of wax paper until the burger is ½ inch thick. Remove the patty to a plate and repeat the process for the rest of the balls of meat.

Sprinkle 1 Teaspoon of the Spice Rub over each patty, flip each patty, and sprinkle another 1 Teaspoon of Spice Rub on the other side. Let the patties rest for five minutes.

Cooking

Turn the griddle to 400 degrees and let it come to temperature.

Place each patty on the griddle and cook until a sear forms. This usually takes about 8 minutes. DO NOT TURN UNTIL A SEAR FORMS. Once a sear forms, turn the meat over carefully (so that it does not break,) place a slice of cheese on top, and continue to cook until a sear forms on the other side. Remove the patties once they reach an internal temperature of 135 degrees (about another 3 minutes). They should be Medium Rare in doneness. Let the meat rest for three minutes.

While the meat rests, open each bun and spread butter on the open buns. Place each bun, butter side down on the griddle, and cook for three minutes or until a light brown crust forms. Remove the buns once complete and set aside. Do not let them burn.

Forming

Do the following for each burger: Place the bottom bun on a plate. Place one meat patty on top of a slice of bun. Cut a slice of bacon into two pieces and layer on top of the meat. Top with a slice of cheddar cheese. Place the top of the bun on top of the burger.

Serve and enjoy!

FoodieCuisine.com