Aaron's ultimate burger recipe http://i16.tinypic.com/42l6t5u.jpg (http://i16.tinypic.com/42l6t5u.jpg)
Here's what you need:
1 six pack of your favorite beer. I prefer Heineken, but any beer is acceptable. Keep in mind that your goal is to eat the entire burger, so for the purposes of this recipe stouts and porters are not recommended. A lager is perfectly suited for this burger.
1 lb of bacon. Thick sliced, if you have it.
1 lb of ground sirloin. You can use lesser grades of beef, but take into account shrink factor. Sirloin has the lowest fat content, and therefore the lowest rate of shrinkage.
2 slices of deli Swiss cheese.
2 slices of deli American cheese, or you can substitute Cheddar.
1 large, fresh baked whole wheat roll, unsliced.
Once you have obtained the requisite items, you are ready to begin preparation. Here's how you do it.
Step 1: Before you do anything, make sure that your beer is ice-cold. This can be accomplished in a variety of ways. If you live in a cold climate, like me, this is easily achieved. Simply place your beer on the front porch. If you live in the American southwest, chances are you never see freezing temperatures, so this is where you use your freezer. Put the beer into the freezer. If you drink fast, put all of them in there, but I usually start with 2 or 3, and put the rest in the fridge. It helps to turn your fridge way up to the highest possible level of refrigeration. Watch T.V. for at least a half an hour while the beer chills.
Step 2: Following the appropriate chilling time, open a beer. Make sure you take one from the freezer or front porch, as the case may be. If you chilled it for the appropriate length of time, it will be perfectly ice-cold, just this side of frozen. When you take a drink, it will be the most refreshing taste you have ever experienced. Now, move on to step 3.
Step 3: Open your bacon and cut the whole slab in half. Now take one half and put it into a freezer bag and seal it. You will not be using this half. Please store it properly. In a medium-large frying pan, start cooking the other half slab. Be careful not to use too much heat. Medium to medium-low is what you want. Take your time. Drink your beer. This process usually takes me about a half hour, during which I drink 2 ice-cold beers.
Step 4: Prepare a de-greasing plate. Do this by placing one or two sheets of paper towel on a plate. This is where you will place the cooked bacon slices as you take them out of the pan.
Step 5: Eat the first two pieces of bacon you take out of the pan. Be sure to de-grease them first. Wash these down with your ice-cold beer. Doesn't that taste good? Don't eat anymore, the rest is for the burger. Continue frying your bacon and placing on the de-greasing plate. Take your time. Drink your beer.
Step 6: While the bacon is frying, take out the ground sirloin. Make yourself a large patty. I make mine about the size of a catcher's mitt, but for some people this is too much. Use your own discretion. I don't bother weighing it, but my patty is estimated at just over a half pound.
Step 7: With your catcher's mitt sized burger patty waiting in the wings, finish cooking and de-greasing your bacon. As with every step of the process, take your time, drink your beer. When you are done frying the bacon, place your burger patty in the pan. Do not lower the heat. Do not drain the grease. Put the patty in there. Do it now.
Step 8: While your burger is frying in the grease, take out your whole wheat roll and slice it in half. Place the two halves on a plate. Pay attention to your burger's frying time. When it's been in the pan for about a minute, carefully flip it with a spatula. By now, you may need to open another beer from the freezer or porch. Go ahead and do it. After you do this, you are ready to move on to the construction phase. Proceed directly to step 9.
Step 9: Turn the heat down to low. Take out your cheese. Carefully place 2 slices of Swiss cheese on the burger patty. Now start carefully arranging the bacon on the cheese. Do this gingerly, you want to avoid getting 3rd degree burns on your hands as this will greatly diminish the pleasure you will get from eating the finished product. I cannot stress this enough, take your time. Drink your beer.
Step 10: After you have carefully positioned the bacon slices on top of the cheese, you must place the other 2 slices of cheese on top of the bacon. In my case, I used American cheese, but you may use Cheddar. As with step 9, do this carefully to avoid burns. When you are satisfied with the construction of the burger, cover the pan and finish your beer. The melting of the cheese will take a few minutes. Feel free to open another beer.
Step 11: Keep an eye on your burger, you want the cheese to melt evenly. You may need to make minor adjustments to the position of the cheese and/or bacon with respect to the burger patty, so you want to stay in front of the burger while the cheese melts.
Step 12: If you have successfully completed steps 1-11, you are looking at a masterpiece of a meal. Turn the stove off, uncover, and carefully transfer the burger to your sliced bun. Use a spatula for this job. At this point, condiments are optional, but I tend to allow the burger's natural flavors to remain unspoiled by sauces or vegetables. Use your discretion here, but my personal feeling is that covering up the burger's natural flavors is a punishable offense.
Step 13: Place your top bun on the burger. Set your beer down next to it and take a picture. If you have done everything correctly, it should look something like this. http://i12.tinypic.com/2dk058p.jpg (http://i12.tinypic.com/2dk058p.jpg) By now your mouth is watering, but please don't get too impatient. Move on the step 14.
Step 14: Sit down in front of the T.V. with your masterpiece. Find something good to watch. Take your time. Drink your beer. You have done your insides a great injustice. I accept no responsibility for consequential health problems. You will definitely want to take a fiber supplement later http://i10.tinypic.com/351x4cz.jpg (http://i10.tinypic.com/351x4cz.jpg) - trust me, I know.
Enjoy!
Nutrition facts-
Total fat: Unknown
Total calories: 2 days worth
Protien: Lots
Dietary fiber: Yeah, right
perfect except you forgot to brown some onions on the side to place over the burger when it was ready.. :thumbsup
Quote from: aaronjnoone on February 17, 2007, 04:01:40 PM
Aaron's ultimate burger recipe http://i16.tinypic.com/42l6t5u.jpg (http://i16.tinypic.com/42l6t5u.jpg)
Dang it. I just droolled all over my self. That's one good lookin' burger.
:cheers
I can only find one flaw in the entire process.
You must be sitting outside, with friends, and have guitars in the background.
Other than that, it's PEFRECT :beer
everything sounds good but the frying part to me. I just cant get myself to fry a hamburger. It must be grilled and cooked with charcoal and hickory woods. It does sound like you do enjoy your beer though!! Its all about the beer!! :cheers
I like grilled burgers too. But it's about -15 outside right now and my grill is under 11 inches of ice. I make do with what I have.
Okay 11 inches of ice is an exaggeration, but it's got to be at least 8. Man, I hope spring gets here soon. Suppoesed to be almost 40 by the end of the week though, that might be nice. I can finally get the salt off my truck for more than an hour at a time.
Mmmmm, had a great bacon cheeseburger at the Black Bear Diner in Bend today.
Aaron your picture cracks me up. Plinking with a guitar on your back.
"What do you mean you don't like my guitar playin!, I think you need to go back to your own campsite."
Well, I was always taught never to eat anything bigger than my head, but then I never was one to take advice too seriously.
There used to be a very nice little beach-side grocery where we used to go; they had a lunch/fountain there and served some of the best cheeseburgers ever. Smothered in Tillamook cheddar....and melted peanut butter! Try it sometime...great combo! Just the thing (along with a chocolate shake) to wash the sea water down your throat after a hard day's surfing.
And BTW Aaron...M1911, accept no substitute! :thumbsup
I think that I just heard my arteries harden...
Quote from: ElJefe on February 25, 2007, 07:35:08 PM
I think that I just heard my arteries harden...
Just keep a shaker full of Zocor on the table to sprinkle on your food.... :ph34r:
Quote from: maxferry on February 20, 2007, 10:55:18 AMThere used to be a very nice little beach-side grocery where we used to go; they had a lunch/fountain there and served some of the best cheeseburgers ever. Smothered in Tillamook cheddar....and melted peanut butter! Try it sometime...great combo!
There's a bar in New Orleans' French Quarter called "Yo Mama's" that serves a peanut butter cheeseburger. If I recall correctly, it had bacon and cheddar.
Maybe it helps that the second beer arrives before the burger, but yum! :cheers