Country Ham and Egg Biscuit Burger

Pairs well with:

White Merlot

Imagine sipping a lighter Merlot. This fresh, pale-pink wine is a nice change from traditional red or white wines.

The spirit of rural Appalachia is best described as one of independence and self-sufficiency.Nothing personifies that more than the country farm. County farmers are proud, self-reliant people who can support and sustain their families by the sweat of their brows. This burger celebrates that spirit. Every main ingredient in this burger can be found on a small, family farm- cows, pigs, herbs, chickens, goats. Even green tomatoes! This burger is served on the staple of any rural, mountain meal- a hot buttered biscuit. Even the portion size is hearty, as to satisfy the type of appetite one develops after a hard day’s work. So, in honor on the thousands of family farmers in the mountains on North Carolina, I present the Country Ham and Egg Biscuit Burger

Ingredients:

2 pounds 80/20 ground beef
½ pound county ham, diced small
2 tsp ground sage
2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp sea salt
2 TB dijon mustard
2 TB butter
6 eggs
2 large, green tomatoes cut into 6 slices, each about ½ inch thick
12 large butter flavored canned biscuits
12 oz soft goat cheese

Instructions:

Preheat a gas grill to medium-high.

To make the patties, combine the ground beef, county ham, sage, black pepper, sea salt, and dijon mustard. Shape into 6 patties, between 6 and 7 ounces each. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and set aside.

Heat a large, heavy nonstick fireproof skillet on the grill. Melt the butter in the skillet. Fry each of the 6 eggs. As each egg is cooked to desired firmness, transfer to a plate and cover the plate with foil to keep the eggs warm.

After all 6 eggs have been fried, set aside the skillet. Place the patties on the rack, cover, and cook, turning once, until done to preference, 5 to 7 minutes on each side for medium. After turning the burgers, place the tomatoes slices on the grill, turning once and cooking 2 to 3 minutes on each side.

Transfer the cooked burgers to a plate. Top each burger with a fried egg and a grilled tomatoes slice. Cover the plate with foil to keep burgers warm.

Turn grill to low. Flatten each biscuit to a circumference larger than your burgers. Place the biscuits on the grill, turning once and cooking 1-3 minutes on each side, until the edges are golden brown and the biscuits start to pull away from the grill. After turning, place 1 oz of goat cheese on the cooked side of each biscuit. Once the biscuits are done, transfer to platter. Assemble the burgers by layering one biscuit (cheese side up), one burger (topped with egg and tomato), and a second biscuit (cheese side down). Serve and enjoy!