Bacon Wrapped Dinosaur BBQ Chipotle Cheddar Burger W/ NY Style Hot Meat Sauce

Trying to capture the wonderful flavors of our region together in one burger wasn’t easy. But I started with the common notion around here that if you don’t need at least 5 napkins before your finished you haven’t had a decent burger. Yes, we like our burgers doused in a greasy and delicious hot meat sauce.We are after all home to the famous Nick Tahou’s garbage plate. Our hometown of Rochester NY also hosts a fantastic Rib joint downtown that has been here for 10 years and came from up the road in Syracuse NY established in 1983. So, by combining these flavors along with some lovely Vermont cheddar, bacon and a touch of apple I hope to make my hometown proud.

Ingredients:

Patties
.75 lbs ground chuck
.75 lbs ground sirloin
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup Dinosaur Roasted Garlic Honey BBQ Sauce
12 slices bacon
6 1/4- inch thick slices large sweet Vidalia onion

Toppings:

Romaine and arugala salad with apple jelly vinaigrette
1 tablespoon apple jelly
1/2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon brown sugar
dash of salt (1/8 teaspoon)

1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped Romaine lettuce leaves
1/2 cup baby arugala

Hot BBQ Meat Sauce
1 tablespoon salted butter
1/2 cup Coach Tony’s Gourmet Hot Sauce
3/4 cup dinosaur Roasted Garlic Honey BBQ Sauce

8oz pkg Cabot Chipotle Cheddar, cut into 12 slices

1/2 cup salted butter, softened
6 seeded Kaiser rolls

Instructions:

Patties:
Prepare a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill with a cover, or preheat a gas grill to medium-high.
In a large bowl combine the ground meat with salt and BBQ sauce. Ensure the ingredients are well distributed throughout the meat, but don’t overwork the mixture. Divide the meat into 6 portions, and shape each portion into a patty.

Lay 2 slices of bacon crisscrossed on a cutting board place a slice of onion in the center and top with a patty. Wrap burger patty and onion with bacon and place on a platter. Do the same with the remaining burger patties, cover with plastic wrap and set aside until ready to cook.

Romaine arugala salad with apple jelly vinaigrette:
In a small bowl using a small wire whip blend together ingredients for the apple jelly vinaigrette. In a medium bowl toss lettuce and arugala with vinaigrette cover and refrigerate until ready to use

Dinosaur BBQ hot meat sauce:
Place a 10-inch fire-proof skillet on the heated grill rack. Melt 1 tablespoon butter with the hot meat sauce and stir in 3/4 cup BBQ sauce until bubbly. Remove to a small bowl and set aside.

Split the rolls horizontally in half and butter the cut sides. Grill the rolls, butter-side down, until they are lightly toasted, being careful so as to not scorch the rolls. Remove the rolls from the grill and set them aside to rest, grilled side up.

Brush the grill rack with vegetable oil. Place the patties on the rack seam side down onion side up, cover, and cook, turning once, until done to preference, about 5-7 minutes on each side for medium. During the last few minutes of cooking, crisscross 2 slices of cheese over each patty. Cover the grill and cook until cheese melts. Remove to a platter.

To assemble, place 1/6th of the salad the bottom of each toasted. Add the patties, top with a generous 2 tablespoons of hot bbq sauce,(allowing the sauce to dribble down the sides) and add the roll tops. Cut the burgers in half with a serrated knife, if desired, and serve.