To me a good Cowboy Burger should have a smoky element and a spicy element - Worcestershire, BBQ & steak sauce, just a dash of Liquid Smoke, and a bit of cayenne and chipotle chili powder. Top it with thick cut peppered bacon.

Cowboy Burgers

I love burgers on the grill and there are about a million ways to make them I suppose. Some people are burger purists - insisting that burgers must be meat and nothing more, putting all of the additional flavors on top of the cooked burger.  Others don't mind mixing flavor accents right into their burgers. I personally like burgers both ways, and this recipe is one of those mix-in types.

I have no idea how Cowboy Burgers came to be named, but I'm pretty sure it has nothing to do with football and everything to do with hard working ranch hands. They do usually involve some element of steak sauce and bacon at minimum.

To me a Cowboy Burger should have a smoky element and a spicy element - so I like to use a combination of Worcestershire, BBQ and steak sauce, with just a dash of Liquid Smoke, and a bit of cayenne and chipotle chili powder and then like to top them with a thick cut peppered bacon. That combination gives a nice, spicy kick, without setting your mouth on fire. I prefer not to use salt on burgers for the most part since it tends to draw out moisture.

Here's a tip. If you line a baking pan with aluminum foil, you can use it to place the raw burger patties on, and then, once you transfer those to the grill, remove the foil, discard it, and reuse the baking pan to carry in the cooked hamburger patties.

Recipe: Cowboy Burgers

©From the Kitchen of Deep South Dish
Prep time: 10 min |Cook time: 10 min | Yield: About 6 to 8 burgers


Ingredients

• Thick cut, peppered bacon, at least one slice per burger, cooked crisp
• 2.25 pounds of ground chuck
• 1 tablespoon of light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon of steak sauce (like A1)
• 1 tablespoon of BBQ sauce
• 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce
• Splash of Liquid Smoke, optional
• 1 teaspoon of chipotle chili powder
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
• 1-2 large Vidalia or yellow onion, cut into 1/4 to 1/2 inch slices with rings intact, 1 slice per burger
• Drizzle of olive oil
• Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper
• Shredded cheddar cheese
• Additional Garnishes: Mayonnaise, BBQ sauce, lettuce, sliced tomatoes, Fire 'n Ice pickles or pickled jalapenos.

Instructions

Cook the bacon to crisp and set aside. Place the ground beef in a large bowl. In a separate small bowl, combine the brown sugar, steak, bbq and Worcestershire sauces, and Liquid Smoke, with the chili powder and cayenne. Add to the ground beef and use a fork to toss. Form into 6 to 8 large, tight balls and place onto a foiled lined baking sheet. Gently flatten and shape the patties and create a very slight thumb indention into them. This will help the burgers from puffing up and becoming rounded instead of flat. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Brush both sides of the onion slices with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper; set aside.

When ready to cook, grill the burgers on well-oiled grates, indented side up first, over direct and high heat, for about 3 minutes, or until seared and browned. Turn and continue cooking until done, another 2 to 4 minutes, or until done to desired level. Do not press down on the burgers! Meanwhile also add the onions to the grate and cook until lightly browned, turn and cook other side. Toast buns on the top rack of the grill.

Place a thin layer of mayonnaise on both sides of the bun.  Add the burger and top with BBQ sauce and pickles or jalapenos. Sprinkle with a pinch of shredded cheddar and top with grilled onion, tomato, bacon and lettuce.  Serve immediately.

Makes 6 to 8 burgers, depending on the size

Source: http://deepsouthdish.com

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©Deep South Dish

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Posted by Mary on July 18, 2010

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