| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 1 hr 20 min |
| Active: | 1 hr 5 min |
| Yield: | 4 servings |
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 pounds bacon, chopped
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
- 3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- Pinch each kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 large leeks, dark green tops removed
- 1 tablespoon butter
- Oil, for cooking
- 1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon juniper berries
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 1 cup white wine
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Four 8-ounce all-beef patties, preferably minimum 25 percent fat content
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 tablespoons butter
- Two 2- to 4-inch sprigs fresh rosemary
- Two 2- to 4-inch springs fresh thyme
- 4 slices white Cheddar
- 4 burger buns, preferably freshly baked croissants from your local bakery, split
Instructions
- For the bacon vinaigrette: Cook the bacon in a hot saute pan or saucepan until fat is rendered and bacon is crisp. Add rosemary to the crispy bacon, and fry briefly to release the aromatics in the herbs. Drain cooked bacon and rosemary; reserve bacon fat.
- Blend the apple cider vinegar, brown sugar and maple syrup in a food processor, then continue to blend, slowly adding the bacon fat until mixture is emulsified. Transfer to a bowl; fold cooked bacon and rosemary into vinaigrette and season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until use; can be held for up to one month (see Cook’s Note).
- For the sauteed leeks: Cut the leeks in half lengthwise; rinse well to remove all dirt and debris. Thinly slice lengthwise into julienne strips. Add butter and some oil to a saute pan and heat until hot and bubbling. Add coriander seeds, juniper berries, peppercorns and leeks and cook until leeks start to caramelize. Deglaze pan with white wine, and continue cooking until leeks are soft. Remove whole spices and season to taste.
- For the burger: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Preheat a grill pan over high heat, or heat a large saute pan until almost smoking. Heavily sprinkle the beef patties with salt and pepper on both sides. Sear the beef patties for approximately 1 to 2 minutes per side. Add the butter and herbs and transfer the pan to the oven. Cook until patties reach desired internal temperature, occasionally basting with the butter/herb pan juices, an additional 8 to 12 minutes, Add one slice white Cheddar to each patty in the last minute of cooking to melt.
- Meanwhile, warm 1 cup bacon vinaigrette and 1 cup sauteed leeks on the stovetop in medium saucepans and toast burger buns. Place a patty on each bun and top with each the bacon vinaigrette and leeks. Close burgers and enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 4 servings |
| Calories | 1753 |
| Total Fat | 139 g |
| Saturated Fat | 51 g |
| Carbohydrates | 62 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 4 g |
| Sugar | 31 g |
| Protein | 51 g |
| Cholesterol | 253 mg |
| Sodium | 2555 mg |
Reviews
Best burger I’ve ever had. Croissant buns are well worth the time to make. Possibly the best part is the bacon jam. I will make this again
Remove whole spices? What does that mean? Pick out each peppercorn?
Wow…just wow. YUM
Guy got it right. This burger was delicious. Super creative. It was worth the big mess I made in our kitchen!! Loved the bacon vinaigrette. Actually, I really loved everything about this !!
Yummmy the best burger
The finished product was delicious. Everyone thought it was amazing and that the croissant was an amazing choice for the bun. I had problems with the vinaigrette being too vinegar forward – don’t know what I did wrong as I followed the recipe exactly. I ended up taking some of the vinaigrette and bacon and turning it into a jam/glaze and it turned out great. I would have also loved more of the leek mixture on every burger – will double next time. Basting the burger/finishing in the oven is a must as the meat turned out moist and perfectly cooked! All in all, a burger I would definitely make again!