Fat Tommy’s Triple Crown Double Heresy Classic Bubba Burger with Black Pepper Mayonnaise and Bacon Butter
Ingredients
12 strips applewood smoked bacon
2 oz. water
4 Tbsp. butter
2 lbs. ground chuck
6 Tbsp. Sutter Home Chardonnay
1 1/2 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. for the meat and 1/2 tsp. for the tomatoes later
1 Tbsp. jarred roasted garlic (such as McCormick’s)
3 oz. Danish Blue Cheese (such as Saga, Blue Costello)
6 Tbsp. finely minced onion
vegetable oil for brushing the grill rack
6 English muffins
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. freshly cracked black pepper
1 tsp. lemon juice
6 leaves iceberg lettuce
6 thin slices tomato
Instructions
In a skillet over a medium hot charcoal grill cook your 12 strips of bacon until very crisp, drain on paper towels and set aside. Deglaze the pan with the 2 oz. of water and when the water is about evaporated add the 4 Tbsp. of butter and set this bacon butter aside for later. Divide the beef chuck into two bowls. Add to each bowl 3 Tbsp. Sutter Home Chardonnay and 1/2 tsp. salt. To the first bowl add the Tbsp. of jarred roasted garlic and mix well. To the second bowl add the 3 oz. Danish blue cheese and mix well.
To commit the first heresy, line a 4 inch ring mold (I use a 4 inch pipe end cap I bought at Bubba’s Hardware) with Saran and into it finely crumble tow strips of bacon. From the first bowl take 3 oz. of meat (size of a plum) and form into a patty then press onto the crumbled bacon out to the edges of the mold. Crown the patty with one Tbsp. of the minced onion and spread out. For the second heresy and from the second bowl take 3 1/2 oz. of the meat (size of a large plum), form into a patty and place on top of the onion crowned patty. Cover with Saran film and compact the patty to fill out the mold. Remove the burger in its film and repeat the procedure for the other five burgers. Chill all for 30 minutes.
Prepare the grill for a medium hot fire when ready brush the grates with the vegetable oil. Then removing the burgers from their film place them on the grill bacon crown up. Cook for four minutes then flip. Cook for three more minutes. Remove to a plate to rest. Split the English muffins with a fork and spread each with the bacon butter then lightly toast on the periphery of the grill. To the mayonnaise add the black pepper, teaspoon of lemon juice and mix. Then spread the mayo on the toasted muffin halves. Place the burgers on the bottom halves bacon side up then crown each with a lettuce leaf and a tomato slice. Season the tomato slices with the remaining half teaspoon of salt, add the muffin tops and serve.