Beer-Braised Cheddar Bacon Burgers by Rachael Ray

Ingredients
1 tablespoon EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil
10 slices smoky bacon, 2 of them chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
3/4 pound ground chuck
3/4 pound ground sirloin
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
Salt and ground black pepper
A few hearty glugs (about 1/2 cup) stout beer, such as Guinness
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
3 tablespoons grainy mustard
4 Kaiser rolls, split open
4 slices aged white cheddar cheese, such as Oscar’s "Counter Cheese"
4 leaves lettuce
1 red onion, sliced


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Yields: 4 servings


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Preparation

Preheat oven to 325ºF.
Place a large skillet over medium heat with 1 turn of the pan of EVOO, about 1 tablespoon. While the pan is still cold, add the chopped bacon. Cook the bacon as the pan heats up until crispy and golden brown, 7-8 minutes.
When the bacon is crispy, add in the onion and continue cooking until tender, 2-3 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl and let cool. Reserve the pan drippings.
While the bacon and onion are cooling, lay the other 8 slices of bacon out onto a broiler pan and transfer to the oven. Bake until crispy, about 20 minutes.

Return the skillet with the pan drippings over medium heat. While it heats up, add the ground meats to the mixing bowl with the bacon and onion, add the Worcestershire and season the mixture with salt and pepper. Combine the mixture with your hands and divide it into four patties.

Add the patties to the skillet and cook until golden brown, 4-5 minutes per side. When you flip the burgers, lay a slice of cheese on each patty to melt. In the last minute of cooking, add the Guinness to the pan and cook until almost completely reduced and slightly thickened.

While the burgers cook, stir together the sour cream, horseradish and mustard in a small bowl. Assemble the burgers by laying down some lettuce and red onion on each roll, then the patties, 2 strips of bacon and a dollop of horseradish sauce.