| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 2 hr 50 min |
| Prep: | 30 min |
| Cook: | 2 hr 20 min |
| Yield: | 4 servings |
Ingredients
- 2 heads garlic
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 12 ounces thinly sliced applewood smoked bacon
- 32 ounces ground beef (80/20 blend)
- 2 ounces Mornay Sauce, recipe follows, optional
- 8 slices yellow American cheese or Cheddar
- 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth mixed with 2 tablespoons water
- 4 soft brioche hamburger buns, cut in half
- “Donkey” Sauce, for serving, recipe follows
- 1 kosher dill pickle, finely sliced
- 1/2 Vidalia onion, very finely sliced
- 1 heirloom tomato, finely sliced
- 1/4 head iceberg lettuce, finely sliced
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole milk, warmed
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Pinch grated nutmeg
- 3 ounces grated yellow American cheese
- 1 cup prepared mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup roasted garlic
- 1 teaspoon regular yellow mustard
- 4 dashes Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 pinches ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Cut off the top third of the garlic head to expose the cloves. Place onto a piece of foil. Drizzle with some olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover the garlic with the foil and place into the oven for about 1 hour 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool to the touch. Remove the garlic cloves from their husks. Reserve until ready to use. Mince 1 teaspoon of the roasted garlic and melt with the butter in a small saucepan. Season with salt. Gently warm until the garlic becomes fragrant. Set aside in the fridge to slightly firm up again. Begin by preparing the bacon for the pig patties. Set a large pot of cold water over high heat and add the bacon. Bring to a medium boil and cook until the bacon is very tender and almost falling apart, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Drain and set aside to cool. Set a flat cast-iron grill pan over high heat. Divide the bacon into 4 even portions, form each portion into a patty and place on the grill. Press down with the foil-covered brick to squash the bacon together and into a flat patty so it crisps. Cook until golden and crispy, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove and keep warm. Divide the ground beef into 4 equal portions (8 ounces each) and form into 4 tight balls. Sprinkle the hamburger “ball” all over with salt and pepper. To the griddle pan (which still has some of the bacon fat on it) place the hamburger balls on and flatten with a strong, flat metal spatula. Flatten to approximately 1/3-inch thickness and continue to press down with the spatula as it cooks. Cook until the burgers develop a crust on the first side, 1 1/2 minutes. Flip over and cook on the second side to develop a crust on that side, 1 minute. Add 2 ounces Mornay Sauce, if using, to the top of the hamburger and top with a slice of cheese. Place a dome lid over the top of the burger. Pour the chicken broth mixture on to the flat top so the liquid runs under the dome and creates steam to cook the burger and melt the cheese. When the burger is at desired point of doneness and the cheese is completely melted, remove the dome lid and set the burgers aside. Brush the cut sides of the buns lightly with the garlic butter. Toast the buns on the flat top until golden and crisp, 3 to 4 seconds. Flip and toast the outsides so they are also lightly toasted, 3 to 4 seconds. To assemble: Smear the “Donkey” Sauce on the cut side of both bun halves. Layer the base with pickle slices and the hamburger patty. Top with a bacon “pig patty.” Top with the onions, tomato and lettuce, and then place the top half of the bun on top. Wrap in waxed parchment paper and serve immediately.
- In a medium saucepan, add the butter and set over medium heat. Allow the butter to melt, and then sprinkle with the flour and stir with a whisk. Cook over low heat until the butter and flour combine into a mixture like wet sand. Once combined, stir for 1 to 2 minutes to cook the flour (but without adding color). Pour in the milk slowly as you whisk to combine. Continue stirring until the mixture thickens up, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the salt, nutmeg and cheese and stir until the cheese has melted and the mixture is smooth. Set aside and keep warm until ready to use. Yield: 1 cup.
- Mix the mayonnaise, roasted garlic, mustard, Worcestershire, salt and pepper together until smooth. Yield: about 1 cup.
Reviews
I made this last week and it was so good.
I can only comment on the donkey sauce which was absolutely killer as Guy would say! Tried it on both a hamburger and a turkey burger with cheese, lettuce, tomato, onions, and pickles and it added a great flavor which was very different and a welcome change from ketchup. My husband couldn’t stop raving about the taste!
Well…The prep time is a bit much…I really do not think “boiling” the bacon did much? actually it took away all the goodness from the bacon, you could easily cooked the bacon up and saved all of the wasted time boiling the hell out of it! or better yest substitute, Canadian bacon, back bacon or Ham, if you need a slab of bacon, just grind/chop some up, its a lot easier.
Time saved 2:00 Hours
The sauces were easy to make, and worked well.
The garlic butter was good but could be cut from the work load without sacrificing anything.
Time saved :1:30
Cooking the hamburger, understand the process, but really… let steam it in chicken stock? Skip this step save the time…
OK… now you have a start of a good burger without all of the ridiculous prep and unnecessary steps.
I was very disappointed in this burger especially in light of the prep time. I feel like a human piece of lard and couldn’t even enjoy eating it once done. I have the reputation of making a very good burger and this didn’t come close. Many of the steps were unnecessary…No wonder so many people who reviewed this recipe made substitutions or omissions…
OMG! OMG! OMG! I do not use that lightly! Guy does not disappoint! I have tried to make the perfect burger for 20+ years! & I think I finally found it. Everyone in my house said this was the best burger they have ever eaten. I used to be a burger priss & would never cook one w/out using a grill much less eat one from a pan! I’m a changed woman. Thanks Guy!
Had this burger onthe Carnival Triumph at Guy’s grill and it was absolutely out of bounds. Ate there almost every day on the cruise. Wish we had his hamburger place here in Houston texas. By far the best bugers anywhere.
I now make my favorite burger. No bar can top this one! The sauce is amazing and steaming the burger means that I can have it well done without it feeling like a hockey puck. It’s still juicy and delicious. I have to admit that the pig patty was too much work for me. I used some crisp pancetta instead. Still five stars from everyone who tries it. Thanks Guy!
pig patty made this. The best hamburger I have ever made. We skipped the Donkey Sauce, but everything else as stated. Came out crispy and juicy. would not change anything.
why did i boil the bacon? It lost all it’s bacon-y goodness….
Great