I doubt there's anything profoundly new with this recipe, but I wanted to share it since it came off REALLY well last night at dinner.
I've done "stuffed" burgers in the past. To do that you essentially use twice the meat, put a pocket in one of the patties, stuff it with some goodies, and then put the other on top. When you start eating the burger, you reach the middle and your mouth explodes with a variety of flavors. Its great! This time though, I only had one pound of meat to work with and I wanted to try to duplicate that explosion experience in every bite.
I started with my "standard" hamburger recipe:
- 1 pound Ground Turkey (we do this for dietary reasons, feel free to use hamburger)
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Garlic Pepper
- Italian Bread Crumbs (not necessary if using hamburger. It's used to keep the meat together)
I really can't give you any solid measurements. I break up the meat into a bowl to spread it out. I put enough Worcestershire that will keep the meat wet on the grill, but not dripping. I cover the meat with a fair amount of garlic pepper and bread crumbs. Usually one "coating" will mix in well with the meat, but sometimes I'll add more if I'm not seeing enough of the ingredients mixed in with the meat.
After this, then I add the goodies:
- Shredded Cheese (this time was a Colby/Jack mix, though I think Sharp Chedder would be amazing)
- Bacon Bits (the real stuff, not the imitation. Its easy enough to make your own)
I added another "layer" of cheese and bacon on top of the meat. Then you make your patties. Use your hands [always the best way] and work all of the ingredients into the meat. You want things to blend together as good as possible, so that you don't hit pockets of garlic or cheese when you eat. Once thoroughly mixed, let them sit in the fridge for an hour or so, to let the Worcestershire and garlic flavoring soak into the meat, though it is not necessary.
Grill up the burgers and eat! What happens is that the Worcestershire and cheese keep the meat nice and moist and the bacon and garlic infuse the meat with flavor. From the first to the last bite I had this wonderful variety of flavors with the burger, enhanced even more with the deli mustard and works tossed onto the bun.
So give it a whirl sometime, and customize to your liking. I think the next time I make this up I'm going to substitute bacon with a little chorizo...