CHEF DONALD'S EXTRA FLAVOUR BURGERS

Chef Donald's Extra Flavour Burgers image

My son is now a professional chef. He was here last weekend and made us some burgers that just exemplified great eating. His "secret" seems to be the extra fat of the creamer; in our case 18% creamer! Using "heavy cream", "Devon Cream" or "whipping Cream" if you can "take" the fats in your diet will accent the results you can obtain. For those with health issues, "good" fat like olive oil would be a simple substitution. Likewise, if you want it "healthier" substituting rolled oats (oatmeal) for our favoured Caesar Salad croutons The spices are a suggestion; you can always use the herbs you have come to prefer on your own (regional preferences are very different!) For meat, I'll describe it as "ground beef", its your personal choice if you want to use the fattier chuck, or ground sirloin, or lean ground, or regular...I'd love to get my mitts on a couple pounds of ground buffalo and try this out!

Provided by John DOH

Time 50m

Yield 6 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 14

Ingredients

3 -4 ounces bacon, chopped finely
1/2 onion, finely diced
1 tablespoon thyme
2 lbs ground beef
6 ounces 18% coffee creamer
1/4 cup caesar-flavor croutons, finely ground
2 eggs
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup hickory flavored barbecue sauce
2 1/2 tablespoons deli- prepared hot mustard
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 dash hot sauce
1 ounce daddy hinkles instant meat marinade
herbs, and seasoning to choice

Steps:

In a pan saute bacon pieces until tender, adding onion slivers and thyme.
Pour over ground beef and mix well with a fork.
Add eggs, crouton crumbs, and creamer, again mixing furiously.
Add balance of ingredients and mix finely.
Soak your hands thoroughly in cold water (water and fats will not join) and form patties about 3.5" in diameter 3/4" thick, ensuring that the edges are squared (so they don't burn) and center is "dimpled" (so it won't be undercooked when the edges are done).
Place on a platter and refrigerate for several hours, so that the meat is at even temperature when you go to cook it.
Place it on a preheated BBQ grill, searing a grill mark on the meat until it hits "release" temperature, and rotating 90° to get a cross thatch sear mark, before flipping the burger to repeat the process on the opposite side.
In so doing, the grill should be "super heated" on the cooking side, that the grill is really hot, but on dropping the meat on, reduce the heat to nil, and increase the heat on the opposite side, thus cooking by "indirect heat" method and reducing flare ups. When flipping the meat, reverse the heat process, that the grill can sear the meat.
Use of wood chips is heartily encouraged, mesquite chips will add a wonderful smokiness to the taste, as will hickory.
If desired, you can "finish" these beauties with a slice of provolone, cheddar or Havarti, just enough to melt before serving.
Serve with summer fresh field tomato, "refrigerator dills, sliced very thin and sourdough or onion buns, or, in my case "Weight Watchers" Whole Wheat buns, toasted -- .