Barbecue Burger

Mid-October in Tulsa. Brayden is fifty-four weeks old — a year and two weeks. He has started climbing this week. The dining room chair. The couch arm. The bottom shelf of the bookcase. The apartment has been baby-proofed for the third round to accommodate the new mobility.

The barbecue burger is the homemade-bbq-sauce variant of the classic American cheeseburger — an eighty-twenty ground chuck patty, seasoned only with salt and pepper, seared in a cast-iron skillet, finished with a slice of cheddar in the last thirty seconds of the cook, transferred to a toasted brioche bun spread with a homemade barbecue sauce (ketchup, brown sugar, apple-cider-vinegar, Worcestershire, smoked paprika, garlic, mustard, simmered for thirty minutes until thickened). The burger is the kind of thing the cooler weather makes me want.

The sauce is the differentiating element. Most barbecue burger recipes use store-bought sauce. The from-scratch version is brighter, less sweet, and more aromatic. The cost is about a third of the bottled equivalent and the volume is about double a small bottle. The sauce stores in a glass jar in the refrigerator for two weeks.

Saturday I cooked outside. Dustin had wanted a backyard cookout (we do not have a backyard but our complex has a small grill-and-patio area that residents can reserve). I had reserved the patio for two hours Saturday afternoon. The high was sixty-two. The cookout was the first cool-weather grilling-meal of the fall.

Barbecue Burger

Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 12 min | Total Time: 22 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs ground beef (80/20 blend)
• 1/4 cup barbecue sauce, plus more for topping
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 4 slices sharp cheddar cheese
• 4 brioche burger buns, toasted
• 4 slices thick-cut bacon, cooked
• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
• 4 leaves romaine or butter lettuce
• 2 tomatoes, sliced
• Pickles, for serving (optional)

Instructions

1. Mix the patties. In a large bowl, combine ground beef, 1/4 cup barbecue sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Mix gently until just combined — do not overwork the meat. Divide into 4 equal portions and form into patties about 3/4-inch thick. Press a shallow dimple in the center of each patty to prevent puffing.
2. Preheat the grill. Heat a gas or charcoal grill to medium-high (about 400°F). Oil the grates lightly to prevent sticking.
3. Grill the burgers. Place patties on the grill and cook for 4–5 minutes per side for medium doneness, brushing the top side with additional barbecue sauce just before flipping. In the last minute of cooking, lay a slice of cheddar on each patty and close the grill lid to melt.
4. Toast the buns. Place brioche buns cut-side down on the grill for 1–2 minutes until lightly golden. Watch closely — they toast fast.
5. Assemble. Spread extra barbecue sauce on the bottom bun. Layer lettuce, tomato, the cheese-topped patty, bacon, and red onion. Add pickles if desired. Cap with the top bun and serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 620 | Protein: 38g | Fat: 34g | Carbs: 38g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 890mg