The Smoked And Seared Burger
The Smoked And Seared Burger
If I’m going to indulge in a burger, I don’t mess around: I like to make ’em with about ½ pound of ground beef apiece. And yes, if you don’t feel like firing up your smoker, you can still enjoy this burger by doing the first step in the oven.
Ingrediënten
- 1 pound ground beef the best and freshest you can afford
- 1 1-ounce packet dry ranch-flavored salad-dressing mix
- 3 tablespoons Jack’s Old South Hickory Rub or make your own see this page
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 slices sharp cheddar cheese
- 2 slices smoked Canadian bacon
- Two large soft white hamburger buns
OPTIONAL TOPPINGS:
- Mayonnaise
- Iceberg lettuce
- Ripe thick tomato slices
- Sliced pickles
Instructies
- A half hour before you’re ready to cook your burger, preheat a smoker to 300°F.
- (If you’re cooking these in the oven instead, preheat the oven to 300°F.
- )
- In a medium nonreactive bowl, combine the ground beef with the ranch dressing mix and the rub.
- Using your hands, mix gently to combine, taking care not to overwork the meat.
- Form into two patties of equal size (or three or four patties, if you like smaller burgers).
- Transfer the burgers to a small and shallow aluminum baking pan.
- Refrigerate them until the smoker (or oven) is ready.
- Then place the pan in the smoker (or oven).
- For medium-rare burgers, smoke for 15 minutes, or for medium-well burgers, go to 30 minutes.
- Remove the burger pan from the smoker (or oven) and allow the burgers to rest, uncovered, while you melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat on a stovetop or gas grill (the smoker won’t be hot enough to give you a good sear).
- When the butter is melted but not smoking, use a spatula to slide the burgers carefully into the skillet.
- Cook for about 3 minutes, just until they’re seared on one side and a nice crust has formed, then flip them and do the same on the other side.
- Top them with cheddar and then slide the burgers onto a platter and let them rest, lightly covered with aluminum foil.
- While the burgers rest, wipe out the pan.
- Over medium heat in that same pan, cook the Canadian bacon about 2 minutes per side, until each side is lightly crispy.
- Using a spatula, slide the Canadian bacon onto paper towels to absorb any excess grease.
- Toast the buns in your smoker or on a low setting in the toaster oven.
- Smear a little mayonnaise on the bottom half of each bun.
- Top with the cheeseburgers, a slice of Canadian bacon, a nice piece of cold, crisp Iceberg lettuce, a slice of ripe tomato, and pickles.
- Smear the inside top of each bun with a little more mayonnaise.
- That’s barbecue burger heaven right there.
