BLT Burger

This ultimate summer burger gets its amazing flavor from the combination of smoky bacon and a sweet-and-spicy ketchup with caramelized onions and Southwestern spices.

Yield:

Serves four.

Ingredients

1. 1-1/2 lb. ground chuck (80 to 85% lean)
2. 1 tsp. coarse salt
3. 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
4. 4 slices best-quality cheddar cheese
5. 4 brioche-style hamburger buns
6. 8 strips bacon, cooked until crisp and drained on paper towels
7. 4 leaves green leaf lettuce
8. 2 medium or 1 large beefsteak or heirloom tomato, thickly sliced
9. 1 avocado, peeled and thickly sliced
10. 1 recipe Kicked-Up Ketchup

Directions

1. Put the ground meat in a mixing bowl; sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Mix gently and briefly to avoid overworking the meat. Shape the seasoned beef into four patties that are about 1 inch thick.
2. Prepare a hot charcoal or gas grill fire. Grill the burgers, covered with vents open, until nicely marked and cooked to your liking (about 7 to 8 minutes total for medium-rare). Don’t press on the burgers while they’re cooking—you want to keep the juices inside the burger, not on your grill. Top each burger with a slice of cheddar in the last minute of cooking so that it melts slightly.
3. Transfer the burgers to a plate and tent them with aluminum foil while you toast the buns briefly on the the grill, cut side down. Serve the burgers on the buns, topped with bacon, lettuce, tomato, avocado, and ketchup.

Notes