Cajun Beef Burger with Bacon Onion Jam

Compliments of Nugget Market | 

Give your basic burger patty a boost by blending it with flavorful spices before grilling, then top it off with fried green tomatoes and homemade bacon onion jam—yum!

Ingredients

Bacon Jam:

• 12 ounces Tender Belly bacon, ½-inch diced
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 red onions, julienned
• ½ cup balsamic vinegar
• ½ cup red wine vinegar
• ½ cup brown sugar

Burger Patties:

• 12 ounces ground beef (80-85% lean)
• 2 tablespoons Spiceology Black Magic Cajun seasoning
• 1 tablespoon granulated garlic
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Fried Green Tomatoes:

• 1 tablespoon Spiceology Black Magic Cajun seasoning
• ½ cup cornmeal
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 slices green tomato (½ inch thick)
• ¼ cup buttermilk
• 4 ounces vegetable oil

Burger Fixings:

• 4 ounces Snowdonia Beechwood Smoked Cheddar, sliced
• ½ bunch parsley leaves
• ½ bunch tarragon leaves
• 1 bunch chives, 1-inch sticks
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• Salt to taste
• 2 pretzel buns

Preparation

To make the bacon jam, render the bacon over medium heat until crisp. Strain off fat and reserve bacon. 

Place a medium sauce pot on medium-low heat. Add the vegetable oil and onions, cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook until onions are soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the vinegars, brown sugar and rendered bacon. Cook on medium heat until liquid is reduced to a medium syrup. Remove from heat and reserve warm.

To make the burger patties, mix 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning and granulated garlic into the ground beef. Form into 2 equal patties. Season the outside of the patties with ½ tablespoon of Cajun seasoning each, plus salt and pepper to taste.

Grill patties to your desired doneness over medium-high heat. Top with the sliced cheese for the last minute of grilling to warm the cheese through.

For the fried green tomatoes, mix together Cajun seasoning, cornmeal and flour. Dip the tomatoes in buttermilk and then into the cornmeal mixture to coat well. Heat the vegetable oil (approximately ¼ inch deep) to medium-high heat and pan fry the tomatoes until golden brown on each side.

For the burger fixings, mix the herbs with olive oil in a small bowl and season with salt. Toast the pretzel buns on the grill until golden brown.

To assamble, spread the bacon jam on each bun. Top the bottom bun with the burger patty and cheese, fried tomato, herb salad and top bun.