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Why is the sky blue? Do fish wait to swim after they eat? Why would you add butter to a hamburger patty? I can answer the last question, at least. Because it’s good! Butter adds fat and we all know that a juicy burger is a great burger. But why stop there? You need a tasty beer sauce. And some crunchy smoked bacon too. And a slice of American cheese too, just in case.
No Wimpy Buns!
You’ll need a bun that can hold up to these butter burgers. One of those wimpy little el-cheapo buns isn’t going to get it. Grab some hearty pretzel buns and you won’t get soggy, fall-apart sad burgers. You’ll have happy burgers!
I like to use a burger press when I make burgers. It, in combination with some patty papers, enables me to crank out a whole bunch of equally-sized burger patties in no time at all with little cleanup.
Also try my spicy bacon burger.
Inspired by a recipe from Trisha Yearwood.
Butter Burgers
Ingredients
For the burger
- 8 slices bacon
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter plus more for buns
- 2 pounds ground chuck
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 4 slices cheddar cheese or American
- 4 pretzel buns
For the beer cheese sauce
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups light beer
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- 1 clove garlic minced
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 6 ounces sharp Cheddar grated
- 6 ounces Swiss cheese grated
Instructions
For the burger
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Place the bacon on a baking sheet lined with foil and bake until lightly brown but not completely crisp, 15-20 minutes. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate and keep warm (I put an upside down plate over the top of the bacon).
For the beer cheese sauce
- Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
- Add the onions and cook until soft, 2-3 minutes.
- Stir in the flour and cook, stirring, until it starts to brown, about 2 minutes.
- Whisk in the beer until smooth.
- Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the beer is cooked out and the sauce is reduced, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the cream and garlic. Stir continuously and cook until the sauce has thickened, 10 minutes.
- Remove from heat and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper.
- Slowly add the cheeses and stir until melted.
- Keep warm over low heat.
For the burgers
- Cut butter into small pats.
- Form beef into 4 balls, Press butter into centers then form into patties Season with salt and pepper.
- Heat a grill or grill pan over medium high heat.
- Add patties and cook on one side until browned.
- Flip and cook until done.
- Top with cheese slices (see my note below) and remove to a plate.
- Butter both sides of the pretzel buns and place on the grill, cut-side down. Grill until golden brown and toasted.
For the burgers
- Top buns with cheese, bacon, burgers, and cheese sauce. Serve with plenty of napkins!
- Note: I like to put the cheese on my bottom bun instead of on the grilled patties. It helps form a barrier between the juicy meat and the bun, preventing it from getting soggy.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are approximate.
