Maple Bourbon Bacon Jam Burger

If you’re looking to step up your burger game, you’re in the right place. We took on the challenge of making the juiciest, most flavorful burger we could, and trust me- we knocked it out of the park with this burger recipe. We conquered the task, perfecting a juicy burger that is good enough to pick up fresh off the grate, and eat it as it is. We packed on the flavor to this restaurant-style burger with maple-bourbon bacon jam, fried pickled-jalapeno dimes and garlic aioli on a toasted brioche bun- holy cow.

When it comes to going out for dinner, I always order things I can’t make as good at home. Burgers top that list. There is something about a biting into a juicy burger at a restaurant with grease dripping down your hands that seems unmatched- well, until now.

My first suggestion- stop buying pre-made frozen burgers. Ideally, grinding your own meat would be the prime option but let’s be real, nobody here is going to do that. Coming in at a close second is to buy ground, lightly packed meat. You know the package of about a pound of ground beef with the Styrofoam bottom and wrapped with plastic wrap? That’s what you want. People often correlate price with quality, in this case, that is not it. A leaner package of burger is going to cost more, but you’ll be losing more flavor as the ratio of fat reduces. Most grocery stores will carry 80% lean/20% fat-ground beef which will get the job done just fine.

My second suggestion, and debatably the more important one- stop rolling your ground beef into a ball and then flattening it into a patty. I know, I know, you are all like, ‘well how the heck else do you form a burger?’ Cut it out. You don’t have to take my word for it. Try it for yourself and see. Unwrap the plastic from your packaged beef and grab your go-to kitchen knife. Cut a round, patty-shape directly out of the hunk of meat. Assuming that you bought a standard pound of burger, you should be able to just make it work by cutting 2 extremely thick patties out. Now, take those overly thick patties and cut them in half. As lightly as you can, mold the ground beef together, just enough so that the patty is formed and adhering to itself. You want the striations from the grinder to still be visible. A pound of ground beef will produce four patties just under a quarter pound each. Now, with the scraps, I challenge you to make a burger using whatever technique you have used before and compare it to this method.

For more flavor a.k.a. fat, I chose to cook my burgers in a buttered, cast-iron pan. To make this a tried-and-true recipe, I cooked half of the burgers directly on the grate for comparison. While the burgers that cooked directly on the grate, over the fire, were unique, offering an indulgent smoky flavor, I much preferred the burgers that had cooked in the buttered cast iron.

To lock in the juice and flavor, low and slow is the way to go. Refrain from over-flipping your burgers. Trust me, it doesn’t matter if you look like a good cook, constantly putting that spatula to work, if you aren’t a good cook. Ideally, if you are starting your burgers at a temperature that is not too hot, you should only have to flip them once.

These cast iron-cooked burgers surpassed my expectations, proving that I, indeed, can make burgers better at home.

Topping the perfect burger with this maple-bourbon bacon jam, fried pickled jalapenos and garlic aioli made this burger recipe a smashing hit.

Grab a drink. Let’s make these damn things.

Burger Ingredients:

• 1 pound of packaged 80% lean, 20% fat ground beef
• Steak seasoning
• Butter (for greasing cast iron)
• Sliced Cheese (cheddar or pepperjack)
• Brioche Buns

Burger Instructions:

1. Once you have your patties formed, using whatever technique you’ve decided on, season them up liberally. I used McCormick’s Montreal Steak Seasoning. I’m pretty sure that it is the most popular steak seasoning, and that the most average of Joes has it stocked. I find steak seasonings to enhance the flavor of burgers the best. A combination of coarsely ground peppers, salts, onion powder and garlic powder should do. I get it though, seasoning is personal, use whatever you like.
2. Butter up your cast iron. Heat over your method of choice. We are using a grate over a campfire.
3. When your pan is hot enough, put in your seasoned burger patties. Aim for low and slow to lock in the most juice in your burgers. If the pan is not too hot, you should not have to flip more than one time.
4. Once your burger is just about cooked to your liking, add your cheese in the last minute or two. I used cheddar cheese, but pepper jack would also be a great choice for this burger.
5. Put your bun directly in the pan in the buttery grease until lightly toasted.
6. Spread garlic aioli on bottom bun.
7. Add your burger to the bun, top with bacon jam and fried jalapenos.

Fried Jalapenos

Fried Jalapeno Dime Ingredients:

• Sliced pickled jalapenos
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
• 1 tbsp italian seasoning
• 1 tbsp dry ranch seasoning
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 egg
• 1/2 – 1 cup milk (add more if needed to reach desired consistency)
• Vegetable Oil (to fry peppers in- enough to go up about an inch in your frying pan)

Fried Jalapeno Dime Instructions:

1. Mix all of your dry ingredients together. Being that we were making these fried jalapenos at our hunting camp, I mixed all of my dry ingredients together ahead of time, to pack lighter. My dry ingredients consisted of flour, bread crumbs, italian seasoning, dry ranch seasoning (I buy the bulk container- so worth it), smoked paprika, chili spice, and garlic powder.
2. Add in your egg and milk. Whisk ingredients until smooth. You want your consistency to be thick enough to adhere well to the jalapenos. The thicker your mix is, the fluffier the jalapeno dime will be. If you want a crispier, more sharp jalapeno taste, make a slightly runnier mix. Add more flour (to thicken) or milk (to thin) as needed to reach desired constancy.
3. Dry your sliced jalapenos. I tried using this recipe to fry both fresh jalapenos and pickled jalapenos. Using pickled jalapenos was the winner by far; the fresh jalapenos did not even come close.
4. Coat your pat-dried, jalapeno slices into the batter until well covered.
5. Carefully drop into hot oil. I recommend doing a few at a time in batches.
6. Use a slotted spoon to remove from oil when golden brown.
7. Set aside.

Maple Bourbon Bacon Jam

Bacon Jam Ingredients:

• 4 slices of bacon, chopped
• 1 cup of diced onion
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 2 tbsp bourbon or whiskey (I used a maple-flavored whiskey)
• Crushed red pepper flakes (to taste)

Bacon Jam Instructions:

1. Prepare your ingredients. Again, I measure out and pack up all of my dry ingredients ahead of time. Just like undies, I always pack extra- just in case. I’m big on tasting as I go, so I like to know that I have extra if need be.
2. Cut up and cook your bacon. Or cook your bacon and cut it up. Whichever order sounds better to you. Remove cooked bacon and set aside.
3. Cook your diced onion until translucent and starting to turn gold.
4. Add in minced garlic. Cook for a few minutes until fragrant.
5. Pour bourbon into onion and garlic, deglazing the skillet. Let simmer for a few minutes.
6. Add bacon back into skillet, as well as all other ingredients (seasonings, maple syrup, and apple cider vinegar).
7. Let simmer, frequently stirring. Cook until at desired consistency. *Please note, this will candy and harden as it is removed with heat.*

Garlic Aoili

Garlic Aioli Ingredients:

• 1 lemon (squeezed)
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp salt (or to taste)
• 1 tsp pepper (or to taste)

Garlic Aoili Instructions:

1. Combine all ingredients in large bowl. Stir.
2. Chill if making ahead. Fridge shelf life is about a week.

Watch me make it! All videos are posted on TikTok @theoutcastcook! Follow if you would like to see more videos.

https://www.tiktok.com/@theoutcastcook/video/7187585665545030955?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7175309439261279790