THE B-4 BURGER (Bison, Barbecue Sauce, Blue Cheese and Bacon)

“B-4” you decide on another traditional cheeseburger… Try this Hillbilly Supper Club favorite!

What you’ll need…

Fresh ground Bison (1/3 lb per person)
Bacon (1 slice per burger)
Bbq Sauce
Crumbled blue cheese (2 tbsp per burger)
1 large sweet Onion (sliced)
Brioche or bakery made buns
butter
pepper
garlic salt
Worcestershire sauce

Hint:
For a vegetarian option try eliminating bacon and grilling a portobello mushroom cap instead…
Marinate mushroom first in 1 tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce and 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar.

First…

Prepare grill to medium high heat…

Next…

In a skillet… fry bacon. When done, remove bacon and set aside on paper towel. Discard grease but do not wipe out skillet yet. There will still be enough fat to saute onions in.

Saute sliced onions over medium heat in small amount of bacon fat stirring frequently until onions become caramelized.
Remove from heat and set aside.

Then…
Gently form bison meat into 5 to 6 oz patties.
With your thumbs, form an indention in the center.
When you cook a burger it tends to swell in the middle. If you form an indention in the center it will swell to normal instead of becoming a meatball.

Next…
Add a splash or two of worcestershire sauce to each burger.
Then sprinkle with garlic salt and pepper. (about 1/3 of a tsp of each per burger)

Hint: Let meat sit a short while so it is not cold when it hits the grill. (it will cook more evenly)

Next…
Place burgers on grill and cook about 5 minutes per side or to desired temp then add crumbled blue cheese. Place on a plate loosely covered with foil or in a 175 degree oven to keep warm.
I prefer to cook fresh ground bison to medium which is an internal temp of about 145 degrees but food safety guidelines suggest ground meats should be cooked to 160 degrees. Just FYI. It’s your call.

Next…
Preheat broiler in oven to high.
Slice buns in half horizontally and butter both sides. Place under broiler for 1 or 2 minutes until toasted golden brown. Only toast inside of bun. Do not flip.
The inside will be toasted and the outside of the bun will still be soft.

Next…
Place a tablespoon or two of barbecue sauce on each bottom bun then add grilled bison burger with blue cheese…
Top with caramelized onions and bacon, top bun and enjoy!

In this recipe we used Stubbs Barbecue Sauce, one of our favorites from Austin Texas.