Sweet Bourbon Burger with Crispy Onion Straws

#BurgerMonth is officially my favorite food related national holiday. I’ve been really getting into it this year. The burgers have been plentiful and so has my joy. If you’ve been following along you’ve probably already seen my post on Garlic Butter Burgers and a tutorial/recipe for cooking grass fed beef burgers. I’m back on this beautiful Saturday morning to add yet another slam dunk burger recipe as my official #burgermonth post.

My fellow meat loving lady Kita Roberts over at Girl Carnivore coordinated efforts for #burgermonth 2016. Over 40 bloggers have come together to post their most outrageous, delicious, and over the top burger recipes.  You can follow the action by checking the hashtag on Instagram and Twitter, as well as following my Burger Month Pinterest board. There have been some dang amazing burgers so far and I can’t wait to check out the rest as the month goes on!

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Maybe I can find a burger recipe to top this Sweet Bourbon Burger….. but maybe not. I’m not trying to be an obnoxious braggart, but this was legit in the top 5 burgers of my life. I could even say best ever, but my arm might start to hurt from patting myself on the back for too long.

PRO TIP: All great burgers start with great beef, and this burger starts with the best. 80/20 fresh ground Certified Angus Beef® sirloin with a splash of bourbon right in the meat. Don’t go with leaner meat, you’ll end up with a dry burger. Don’t go too much fattier either, your burgers can start to fall apart. I’ve found that 80/20 is the perfect ratio!

This big, beefy, boozy 1/3 lb bourbon burger gets a healthy dusting of my Homemade Sweet Rub (be sure to check out that recipe and leave the tab open, you’re going to need it for these burgers) and a high heat sear on the grill for the most amazing crunchy crust. Topped with a homemade sweet bourbon sauce, havarti cheese, and a mountain of fresh, crunchy onion straws…. this burger will put any burger joint to shame.

Before you head to the store to get all of the ingredients, take a look at the awesome sponsors for #burgermonth and enter to win this amazing giveaway!! And then share your spoils with me. Seriously though, this prize pack with set you up for killer grilling all summer long.

While this epic burger creation is my own for #BurgerMonth 2016, I would love to thank Certified Angus Beef, Cowboy Charcoal, Char-broil, Dreamfarm, Cabot Cheese, Grill Master Club, American Lamb Board, and CuttingBoard.com for the kick butt grill prize packages!

American Lamb Board – ALB prize boxes 5 lbs of ground lamb, an apron and a meat thermometer
Cabot Cheese – Cabot Cheese Legacy Gift Box – 2 each Farmhouse Reserve, White Oak & Alpine Cheddar – 1 each New York Vintage & Seriously Sharp & 1 Wine Bottle Opener
Certified Angus Beef – CAB prize grilling accessory kit, $50 VISA card, and a George Motz Hamburger America cookbook.
Char-broil – Char-Broil Performance 780 Charcoal Grill
Cowboy Charcoal – Hardwood Lump Charcoal, a variety of wood chips and some of Cowboy’s new BBQ sauces.
CuttingBoard.com – Olive Wood Carver Board
Grill Master Club – curated grill sample boxes

After you enter here, go check out everybody’s #burgermonth submissions over at Girl Carnivore.

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Print Recipe

Sweet Bourbon Burgers with Crispy Onion Straws #burgermonth

These big, beefy, boozy 1/3 lb patties get a healthy dusting of my Homemade Sweet Rub and a high heat sear on the grill for the most amazing crunchy crust. Topped with a sweet bourbon sauce, havarti cheese, and a mountain of fresh, crunchy onion straws.... this burger will put any burger joint to shame.

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time30 mins

Total Time45 mins

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: Barbecue, Comfort Food, Party Food

Servings: 6 people

Ingredients

• 2 lbs 80/20 ground beef sirloin
• 1/4 cup bourbon
• 3 Tablespoons Homemade Sweet Rub http://heygrillhey.com/recipe/best-sweet-rub-grilled-pork-chicken/
• 12 thin slices havarti cheese
• 6 burger buns pub style
• 1/4 cup salted butter at room temperature

Sweet Bourbon Sauce

• 1 cup water
• 1 20 oz can crushed pineapple in heavy syrup
• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup bourbon
• 2 Tablespoons molasses
• 1/4 cup onion minced
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 2 lemons zest and juice
• 2 Tablespoons Homemade Sweet Rub

Crispy Onion Straws

• 1 large sweet onion cut into thin strips
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup corn starch
• 1/4 cup Homemade Sweet Rub
• 4 cups canola oil

Instructions

• In a medium saucepan, combine all of the ingredients for the sweet bourbon sauce. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 30 minutes. Use an immersion blender to puree the sauce before using.
• In a medium bowl, combine the sliced onions and the buttermilk. In a pie plate gently mix the flour, corn starch, and sweet rub. Place a heavy bottom pot on the stove top and preheat the oil to 400 degrees F.
  
• Preheat your grill to high heat (around 450 degrees). In a large bowl, place your ground beef and pour in the bourbon. Mix very gently. Overmixing can make your burgers tough. Form into 6 individual patties. Season on both sides with the sweet rub.
  
• Place the burgers on the grill grate and cook for 6-8 minutes per side, or until burgers are within 10 degrees of desired doneness. The FDA recommends ground beef is cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F.
• While the burgers cook, fry your onion straws. Remove the onion strips from the buttermilk and toss in the flour/cornstarch mixture. Separate them into individual strips and make sure they are each coated with the flour/cornstarch. Gently transfer them to the hot oil and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until the onion straws are crunchy and golden brown. Remove from the oil using a slotted spoon onto a paper towel and season with salt. Set aside until you are ready to assemble your burgers.
  
• When the burgers are almost done, slather a bit of the bourbon sauce over each burger. Top each with 2 slices of the havarti cheese. Butter your buns and place those on the grill grates as well. Close the lid on your grill and cook for 1-2 more minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the buns are toasted.
  
• To assemble your burgers, place a lettuce leaf on the bottom bun (this prevents the bun from getting soggy) then the cheesy burger, then tomato slices (if desired), a handful of the onion straws, another hearty spoonful of the bourbon sauce, and the buttery toasted top bun. Secure the burger with a large toothpick or skewer. Serve immediately and enjoy!