Twist’d Q Jalapeno, Bacon and Cheddar Stuffed Burger Recipe

You know you have a good burger when, after just one or two bites, you have to smack your face with a napkin and then mop up the meat juice running down your hand. A good burger is pretty much the first thing a lot of people think of when thinking of cooking in the backyard, so you better be able to deliver. A burger is basically a flattened, pan-fried meatball served between bread, but to describe it as such strips the burger of its beefy, delicious dignity!

Ingredients

• 1lb / (450g) ground chuck 80/20 (or higher)
• 1 jalapeno, thinly diced with seeds (remove seeds if you want less heat)
• 3/4 cup (90g) shredded cheddar cheese
• 3/4 cup (180g) cooked and chopped bacon
• 3 pretzel burger buns
• 3 tbsp (45g) softened butter
• 3 pieces green leaf lettuce
• 3 slices tomato
• 1 tbsp per pound of Twist’d Q Smokin’ Applewood All-Purpose Rub

Preparation

1. Sprinkle 1 tbsp of Twist’d Q Smokin’ Applewood All-Purpose Rub into the meat and mix together.
2. Divide the burger into 6 equal portions.
3. Take each portion and form into a patty.
4. Now divide the jalapeno, cheese and bacon into 3 equal portions.
5. Place the portioned ingredients onto the center of 3 of the burger patties, top with the 3 remaining patties, pressing the edges to seal.
6. Wrap each burger in plastic wrap and put in the fridge to help with setting up the burger.

Setting up your grill

• Set up your grill for two-zone cooking (basically, you configure the grill so it has 2 regions. One half of the grill contains a pile of lit charcoal and acts as a hot zone, while the other half contains no charcoal and acts as a cool zone. With your grill configured this way, you can easily sear meats using direct heat from the hot zone, then move the items to the cool zone, where they finish cooking from the indirect heat). Watch this video if you would like to see two-zone cooking in action.
• You will want the grill’s dome temperature to be 400 degrees Fahrenheit (204 degrees Celcius).
• Lump charcoal or briquettes are fine for this recipe.

Cook the Burgers

1. Remove the burgers from the fridge and unwrap, sear off the burgers on the hot side of the grill, close the grill cover with the vents towards the cool side and cook for 2 minutes.
2. Flip the burgers, cover the grill and cook another 2 minutes.
3. Now, take the burgers and put them on the cool side of the grill (cover the grill and don’t peek) to finish cooking an additional 10 minutes.
4. Remove from the grill and let rest for 5 minutes.
5. This is a great time to get those buns ready for toasting. Take the softened butter and spread it onto both the top and bottom buns.
6. Place the buns cut-side down on the hot side of the grill, close the cover and wait about 1 to 1.5 minutes. Your buns are now lightly toasted.
7. Assemble burger with lettuce and tomato and serve immediately.

Tips

• Freeze the bacon 20 minutes before dicing, it will be easier to handle.
• Be gentle when mixing and forming the patties. Squeezing the meat through your fingers or being too aggressive can make the burgers tough.
• Use a spatula rather than tongs to flip and rotate the burgers to prevent releasing the tasty juices from the burgers and drying them out.

Recipe by: Bill Gillespie of Smokin’ Hoggz BBQ

This recipe was published in Bill’s Cook Book, The Secrets to Great Charcoal Grilling on the Weber. It was published by Page Street Publishing Company.

Photography by Ken Goodman