Big Burger Ballyhoo 2007: Bacon Cheeseburgers With Thousand Island Dressing

Even though I have a very nice, but basic, Weber Kettle grill sitting on my patio at my beck and call, it's been well over six months since I used it to make a burger.  I love burgers, but don't make them very often. Odd.  So, I was very happy to see Big Burger Ballyhoo 2007 over at Writing At The Kitchen Table.  There's always something interesting going on there with the adorable Freya and Paul, and the latter's idea of people making their best burger recipes is a great way to get me outside flipping a disk of meat over hot coals. 

At first, I thought of fish, lamb, or mushroom burgers.  But, my favorite way to eat a burger is pretty simple. I like them with cheese and bacon.  And tomatoes.  But, the tomatoes I'm growing are still green, so I did without that ingredient.  My burger is made with organic beef (not required, but it's a good brand), homemade thousand island dressing, boston lettuce, red onions, and applewood-smoked bacon, on a sesame  seed bun.  It wasn't fancy, but it was delicious. I controlled myself and had just one, but Bob eagerly scarfed down two of these bad boys with gusto.  By the way, you can't see any bacon in the photo, because I forgot to put it on.  After I took the picture and began to eat it, I realized it was missing and corrected the problem.   This was a wonderful burger.   

Is it worth it to make your own thousand island dressing?  You bet. And it's so simple to do.  McDonald's makes such a big deal over their "Secret Sauce" for the Big Mac--and it's just an inferior version of thousand island dressing.

Don't forget the bacon!  And don't forget to check back with Paul after June 1. He's going to make the burgers and sample them! There are prizes involved here people!  Don't you wish you had entered this? Well, tomorrow is the deadline. Start grilling! 

Paul, you're going to have a lot of fun, eating all the burgers. Wish I was going to be there to help.

Bacon Cheeseburger With Thousand Island Dressing

- Good ground beef.  I used organic with about 18 percent fat. Don't use beef that's too lean or you'll have a dry burger.  I made each burger with around 6.5 ounces of beef per patty. So, the amount of beef you use will depend on the amount of burgers you make

- cheese.  I used slices of very good sharp cheddar cheese

- applewood-smoked bacon, 2 to 3 slices per burger

- lettuce of your choice.  I used Boston , but other leaf varieties are good, as is more bitter types like arugula.

- thinly sliced red onions

- sliced pickles, sweet or dill

- salt, and freshly ground black pepper

- poppy seed buns

- butter

Make the dressing and set aside.  Cook the bacon until it's crisp and let it drain on paper towels.

Form your burger patties and season them with the salt and pepper. Don't work them too much.  Cook them on your grill over high heat. I used charcoal and cooked mine for about 2 minutes on each side or until they felt ready when I used my finger to press each patty to see if it was ready to my liking. After I flipped the patty the first time, I put a slice of cheese on top of the burger, put the domed lid on the grill and cooked it for the final 2 minutes.  Then I removed the patties to a plate.  Butter the split buns and place them, buttered side down, on the grill. Cook until they are toasted. It will only take a very brief time, depending on how hot your grill is or where you place them on the grill--in an area where it's not so hot.   Remove them immediately when they are toasted the way you like.  Do not take your eye off them, if you do this. If you prefer, heat them in your oven.

Assemble your burger by spreading the dressing on the bottom bun, then add some lettuce or arugula, pickles (if you like), the beef patty, two or three slices of bacon, onions slices, (tomato slices would be nice here too), then top with the other half of the bun. 

Thousand Island Dressing

(Cindy Pawlcyn, Big Small Plates)

1/2 cup mayo
1/4 cup sweet pickle relish
3 to 4 drops Tobasco
1 drop Worcestershire sauce
2 to 3 Tablespoons ketchup
1 Tablespoon parsley, chopped
1 Tablespoon brandy or cognac (optional)

Mix everything together and set aside.

Comments

[NancyWarden]

Great looking hamburger. I can almost taste it. The dressing looks delicious.

[Butta Buns]

adklhfiou3d9c8ytekrhdlnfadhf!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh boy, now you've done it! My brain can't take such sensory overload! Keep the grill fired up, I'll be over soon.

[Jennifer]

I always wondered why McDonald's claimed it to be a secret sauce...we all knew! But yours?? Woooooooo!!! I have GOT to try that. Last night my husband cooked us real burgers (lean ground beef too) and made his own french fries. It was a delicious meal, I had been craving hamburgers for a while!

[Cate O'Malley]

Haven't made burgers on the grill yet this season, but looking forward to it. Yours looks delish.

[Nabeela]

OMG, thats totally drool worthy....I'm waiting for my grill to be setup soon so I can start making burgers too.....yummmm

[sandeepa]

I like your Dressing recipe. The burger makes me hungry too but since I don't eat beef can I have chicken please :)

[Alisha]

That looks delicious! I'm going to have to try your Thousand Island dressing next time we have burgers.

[Tanna]

Let's see I'm free tonight. One burger would be enough. They look wonderful. Wicked bacon!
Sher you are so right with the homemade thousand island drsg ... I haven't made mine in years but it is so amazing.

[mandira]

Wow, look at that burger... yummylicious. I have to try the thousand island dressing... looks amazing sher!

[s'kat]

That is HUGE! And glorious. Meaty, meaty gloriousness.

[gattina]

Sher, I love thousand island dressing, now realize it's just so easy to make! With this on juicy patty & butter-toasted buns... boy! don't talk to me; I just want to eat this big guy!

[Callipygia]

Homemade secret sauce!!! Too good- I used to just stir ketchup, mayo and relish. Bacon- sigh. I agree how fun it would be to sample all them burgers!

[Jenny]

Only thing I see missing is the cheese! Looks great!

[Victoria]

omg, talk about a big fat burger, I don't know how i even settle for mcdonalds sometimes. oh, and the strawberry coffee cake in your previous post looks amazing, seriously. I need to try that recipe out!

[Glenna]

Yum! You're right. Simplicity is the epitome of a great burger. Love the homemade thousand island dressing. Nothing like it.

[Lydia]

No matter how much we talk about eating healthy, there is absolutely nothing better than a burger with all the fixins'! This looks (almost) too good to eat.

[Freya]

Right, let's be honest about this situation. The thought of a heaving plate full of perfect burgers is wonderful, but the logistical complexity and the sheer meat indulgence is a bit overwhelming. Will my stomach explode before the testing is over? Will my aorta become so saturated with cholesterol that it packs up and moves to a vegetarian? I guess we'll just have to see on the day.
Of course, this is a great recipe though and I'm looking forward to the experience. Maybe I can sneak off and try it now.
Oh, and the dressing recipe is a great bonus! That's going in the cookbook for sure.

[aria]

mmmmmmmmm! i had a major hankering for a burger too over the weekend and got me one in mendocino. theres nothing like ocean air and a burger. i'm certain that it was no where near as tasty as this burger though - YUMMMMM!

[Katie]

What a great looking burger!
I'm ashamed to admit that I did not have ONE decent burger when I was in the U.S. I'm also ashamed to admit that it was for lack of trying.... Duh! Ouch! (sharp forehead slap just delivered)

[Amy]

I looooove thousand island on my burgers. Some of my friends think I'm weird for putting salad dressing on burgers but it's so good! Bacon cheeseburgers are my fav, I can just eat that burger off my computer screen. ;P