Start the Grilling Season Right with these Bacon Cheeseburgers

According to New York Times best-selling cookbook author Jamie Purviance, one of the top trends in barbecue today is a movement toward more individual expression.

“It used to be that barbecue styles were determined by regions, but in our internet-connect, melting-pot nation, those regional styles are evolving,” says Purviance, chef and author of the newly released book “Weber’s New American Barbecue.” “Younger grillers are blending old-school methods with fresh flavors to come up with unexpected food riffs, including Boston bacon fatties and baby back ribs with blueberry-chipotle barbecue sauce.”

Try Purviance’s Bacon Cheeseburgers with Kentucky Bourbon Sauce to add some new school excitement to your next backyard barbecue.

Bacon Cheeseburgers with Kentucky Bourbon Sauce

Serves: 4

• Prep time: 20 minutes, plus about 35 minutes for the sauce
• Grilling time: 8 to 10 minutes
• Special equipment: 2 large handfuls of hickory or mesquite wood chips

Ingredients:

SAUCE

• 2 tsp vegetable oil
• 2 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips
• 1 yellow onion, about 5 ounces, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 cup bourbon
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup water
• 3 tbsp cider vinegar
• 3 tbsp unsulfured molasses (not blackstrap)
• 2 tbsp dark steak sauce
• 1 tbsp spicy brown mustard
• 1 tsp liquid smoke
• 1/2 tsp hot pepper sauce
• 8 slices bacon
• 1 1/2 pounds ground chuck (80% lean)
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 4 ounces smoked cheddar cheese, grated
• 4 hamburger buns, split
• 4 leaves romaine lettuce, shredded
• 8 slices ripe tomato

Directions:

Soak the wood chips in water for at least 30 minutes.

Warm the oil in a heavy, medium saucepan over medium heat on the stove. Add the bacon strips and fry until browned and crisp, 3 to 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain and cool, leaving the drippings in the saucepan.

Add the onion to the saucepan, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook until soft and golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the bourbon, increase the heat to medium-high, and boil to reduce slightly, about 1 minute. Add the remaining sauce ingredients and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until the mixture thickens and is reduced to about 2 cups, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat and stir in the fried and cooled bacon. Cover and keep warm.

Meanwhile, in a skillet over medium heat on the stove, fry the eight bacon slices until browned and crisp, 8 to 10 minutes, turning occasionally. Transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain.

Mix the ground chuck, salt and pepper, and then gently form four patties of equal size, each about 3/4-inch thick. With your thumb or the back of a spoon, make a shallow indentation about 1 inch wide in the center of the patties to prevent them from forming a dome as they cook. Refrigerate the patties until ready to grill.

Prepare the grill for direct cooking over medium-high heat (about 400 degrees).

Drain and add the wood chips to the charcoal or to the smoker box of a gas grill, following manufacturer’s instructions, and close the lid. When smoke appears, grill the patties over direct medium-high heat, with the lid closed, until cooked to medium doneness (160 degrees), 8 to 10 minutes, turning once. During the last minute of grilling time, place one-quarter of the cheese on each patty to melt and toast the buns, cut side down, over direct heat.

Build each burger on a bun with lettuce, tomato slices, a patty, bacon slices and sauce. Serve warm.