If you are a U2 fan, you know the pub Half Moon on Herne Hill in London. It is where U2 held its first sold out crowd concert in London. It was a visit to this pub while searching for some U2 history that I unexpectedly found one of the most flavorful burgers outside of the states. It was interestingly small, incredibly juicy and served on a roll rather than a bun. It also provided the inspiration when I began experimenting on how to create an exceptional burger.
Using the Flavor Tiers Method to ensure all of the ingredients shine in their most favorable light and elevates the savory flavor intensity. Adding wild mushrooms to ground chuck for burgers was the result of a highly successful mushroom foraging trip and the need to use the mushrooms before they turned. The earthiness they add to the meat is subtle but important to create a solid Flavor Tier for the next ingredients.
Frankly, adding the bacon and bourbon was simply a natural progression of my love of both and a desire to create a steak house worthy burger. The bourbon’s sweetness balances the earthiness of the mushrooms and hardiness of the bacon. Frying the burgers in ghee (clarified butter) ensures all those juices remain in the burger and are not left in the skillet.
While any cheese would provide an acceptable Flavor Tier, smoky Gouda provides the perfect amount of smokiness to compliment the bacon as well as a creamy base for the mushroom topping.
Why use a plain white bun when the unique taste of pretzel buns, my favorite, or brioche buns create their own Flavor Tier. Toast the bun to provide a solid foundation to hold the juiciness of the burger. Serve stone ground mustard and sriracha sauce along side and you have a fabulous steakhouse burger!
The burgers could easily be made into 4 large burgers rather than 8 minis, but the smallness contributes to the intensity of the flavors. In the recipe below, the burgers are cooked in a cast iron skillet on a cooktop, but these could easily be placed on a grill for a quick cook.
1 # lean ground chuck (Chuck provides the perfect percentage of fat for ultimate flavor
8 strips bacon, finely chopped, partly cooked
2 T Worcestershire sauce
1/2 t freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
1 # wild mushrooms (cremini, shitake, oyster), divided
6 T ghee (clarified butter), divided (unsalted butter can be used but the flavor will be slightly less intense)
½ c bourbon, Larceny or Pikesville are great choices
Kosher salt, to taste
8 oz shredded smoky Gruyere
8 small broiche or pretzel buns, toasted