Starker's Bacon And Cheese-curd Burger

Total Time: 50 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 4 slices bacon (thick slices)
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 lbs ground beef (85% lean or 90 % lean)
• 3/4 cup cheese curds (preferably shatto dairy) or 3/4 cup mozzarella string cheese, chopped
• salt & fresh ground pepper
• 4 good quality hamburger buns
• 4 1/4 inches thick slices ripe tomatoes (optional)
• 4 thin slices onions (optional)
• 4 iceberg lettuce leaves (optional)

Recipe

• 1 place bacon slices on the unheated rack of a broiler pan. sprinkle each slice with brown sugar. bake in a 450 degree f oven for 10 minutes or until crisp. when cool enough to handle, chop bacon; set aside.
• 2 divide beef into eight equal portions. pat beef portions into patties approximately 4 inches in diameter and about 3/4-inch thick.
• 3 equally divide and place the bacon and 3 tablespoons of the cheese curds in the middle of four of the patties, leaving 1/2 inch around the edge of the patty. top each with the remaining 4 patties. pinch edges of top and bottom patties together to form one large burger patty. chill, covered, in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
• 4 season burgers with salt and black pepper. for a charcoal grill, place the patties on the well-oiled rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium coals for 10 minutes. turn with a wide spatula and grill 10 to 12 minutes more, until meat is cooked and an instant-read thermometer inserted into patties registers 160 degrees f. toast buns, cut side down, on grill during last 1 to 2 minutes of grilling. (for a gas grill, preheat grill. reduce heat to medium. place patties on grill rack and cover and grill as above.)
• 5 to serve, place a cooked burger on bottom half of each bun. if you like, top each with tomato, onion, and lettuce.