Burger
- 8 slices Applewood smoked bacon
- 1 ½ pounds 80/20 ground chuck
- Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper
- 6 ounces Stilton
- Tomato onion jam
- Garlic aioli
- Arugula
- 4 Kaiser, pretzel, or ciabatta buns
Cook bacon in oven until crispy, transfer to paper towel-lined plate to drain extra grease. In a large bowl combine the chuck, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, and 2 ounces stilton. Mix gently with your hands. And when I say gently I mean it, overworked meat gets touch and chewy! Form 4 patties, loosely packed.
Heat a grill, griddle, or cast-iron skillet over high heat until fully heated (about 15 minutes for a grill and 6 minutes for a skillet). If using a skillet or griddle, add a small amount of canola oil. Cook the patties for about 3 minutes or until the meat decides it’s ready (it will release its grip of the cooking surface) and then flip. Top each patty with remaining Stilton and continue to cook for about 3 more minutes (for medium doneness which is the best way to eat a burger). Toast buns for the last minute of cooking.
To build the burgers, first smear the bottom bun with garlic aioli and the top bun with a healthy amount of tomato onion jam. To the bottom bun add arugula, followed by a cooked patty, two slices of bacon, and finally top with the tomato-onion-jam-smeared bun. Eat this baby immediately!
Tomato Onion Jam
- 2 tablespoons Olive oil
- 2 sweet onions, thinly sliced
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 10 Roma tomatoes, cored, seeded, chopped
- ½ cup molasses
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- ½ teaspoon chipotle powder
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
In a large sauté pan heat olive oil over medium heat and add the onions, sprinkle a small amount of salt over, cover and cook until wilted and soft, about ten minutes. Remove lid and cook onions until they are golden and caramelized, stirring often.
Stir in garlic and sauté, 1-2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook an additional 10 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients, bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook the jam, stirring constantly, until the tomatoes breakdown and the jam becomes thick, about 20 minutes.
