The Barnyard Burger
- Level: Intermediate
- Yield: 4 burgers
- Total: 8 hr 50 min (includes brining time)
- Active: 50 min
Ingredients
Dry Rub:
4 tablespoons ground allspice
4 tablespoons instant coffee
4 tablespoons ground coriander
4 tablespoons ground cumin
4 tablespoons granulated garlic
4 tablespoons smoked paprika
4 tablespoons chili powder
4 tablespoons cocoa powder, sifted
4 tablespoons mustard powder
4 tablespoons onion powder
Cheffrey’s Barbecue Sauce:
3 cups brown sugar
2 cups ketchup
1 cup molasses
1 cup Dijon mustard
1 cup Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons liquid smoke
10 cloves garlic
2 chipotle peppers in adobo
BOMB Sauce:
1 cup Sweet Thai chile sauce
3/4 cup bacon grease
3/4 cup honey
3/4 cup Dijon mustard
20 cloves garlic
Burger Patties:
2 pounds ground Angus chuck (80% lean)
1 egg
Buttermilk Fried Chicken Marinade:
2 chicken breasts
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup butter pickle brine
1/2 cup hot sauce, such as Frank’s RedHot
1 tablespoon salt
Barnyard Burger:
Oil, for frying
1 cup cornstarch
1 cup all-purpose flour
Mayonnaise, for the buns
4 kaiser rolls
Salt and pepper
8 slices Cheddar
12 slices fully cooked bacon
Directions
Special equipment:
a stainless-steel ring mold- For the dry rub: In a large bowl whisk together the allspice, instant coffee, coriander, cumin, granulated garlic, smoked paprika, chili powder, cocoa powder, mustard powder and onion powder until thoroughly combined.
- For Cheffrey’s barbecue sauce: Combine the brown sugar, ketchup, molasses, mustard, Worcestershire, salt, liquid smoke, garlic, chipotles and 1/2 cup dry rub in a blender and blend until smooth and fully incorporated.
- For the BOMB sauce: Combine the chile sauce, grease, honey, mustard, garlic and 1 cup Cheffrey’s barbecue sauce in a blender and blend until smooth.
- For the burger patties: In a large bowl, mix the meat and egg until just combined. Use a stainless-steel ring mold to form 4 perfect patties.
- For the buttermilk fried chicken marinade: Butterfly the chicken breasts and cut each piece into two pieces. Pound thin to tenderize evenly on both sides. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, pickle brine, hot sauce, salt and 1/2 cup dry rub until thoroughly combined. Add the chicken to the marinade and place in the refrigerator overnight.
- For the barnyard burger: Heat up a griddle to 350 degrees F. Heat up a large pot with frying oil to 350 degrees F.
- Combine the cornstarch and flour in a mixing bowl and set aside. Spread mayonnaise on the cut sides of the rolls and toast on the griddle; remove.
- Liberally sprinkle both sides of the patties with salt and pepper and place on the griddle for 4 minutes. Dredge the chicken in the flour/cornstarch mixture and shake off the excess. Place the chicken into the hot frying oil, making sure to drop the chicken away from you. Cook until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F, about 6 minutes. Flip the patties. Assemble the burgers on the griddle in this order: patty, Cheddar, fried chicken, bacon, 2 ounces BOMB sauce, Cheddar, bacon. Cover the burgers with stainless-steel bowls for 1 minute or until it has reached the desired internal temperature. Remove the bowl and place the finished barnyard burgers on the bun bottoms. Top with the remaining BOMB sauce and the bun tops. Serve and enjoy!
Cook’s Note
Sift the cocoa powder to prevent clumping. Salt isn’t used in this recipe to better control the salt content. Make sure the ground beef is cold, straight from the fridge, to prevent the fat from emulsifying with the meat. If you don’t own a ring mold, a mayonnaise lid could be used as a substitute. We prefer cooking our burgers on a flat surface such as a flat top or a frying pan for a hard sear.