The Wicked Hot Burger
- Level: Intermediate
- Yield: 4 burgers
- Total: 3 hr 50 min (includes cooling time)
- Active: 1 hr 5 min
Ingredients
Spice Rub:
1/4 cup paprika
3 tablespoons garlic powder
3 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons onion powder
1 tablespoon ground mustard
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Thousand Island Dressing:
2 cups mayonnaise
1/2 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons sweet relish
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon white vinegar
1/4 medium white onion, chopped fine
Hot Mess Mix:
3 ounces jalapenos, finely chopped
3 ounces dill pickles, roughly chopped
2 ounces cooked bacon, roughly chopped
1 1/2 ounces red onion, 1/4-inch dice
Pigferno BBQ Sauce:
3 ounces jalapeno
2 ounces habanero
1 quart ketchup
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup molasses
2 tablespoons BBQ seasoning
1/4 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
The Wicked Hot Burger:
2 pounds 80/20 certified Angus ground beef
4 buns, at least 4 1/2 inches around
2 ounces butter
4 ounces sliced pickled jalapenos
8 slices Cheddar
1 to 2 ounces prepared horseradish sauce
1 head lettuce, shredded
4 ounces fried jalapenos, such as French's
Directions
- For the spice rub: Place paprika, garlic powder, salt, onion powder, ground mustard, black pepper and cayenne in a small bowl and whisk until everything is mixed thoroughly.
- For the Thousand Island dressing: Combine the mayo and ketchup in a medium bowl and mix with a spoon thoroughly until blended. Add the relish, pepper, salt, sugar, vinegar and onion and mix until well blended. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
- For the hot mess mix: Combine the jalapenos, pickles, bacon and onion in a medium bowl. Fold in 1 1/2 cups Thousand Island dressing until it becomes a thick, spreadable mixture.
- For the pigferno BBQ sauce: Grind up the jalapeno and habanero in a food processor. Combine in a saucepot with the ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire, vinegar, molasses, BBQ seasoning, cayenne and black pepper and bring to a slow boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer until the sauce becomes dark in color and thickens, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool.
- For the wicked hot burger: Add 1/2 tablespoon spice rub to the beef in a medium bowl and mix thoroughly. Prepare four 8-ounce patties. Toast the buns with a light spread of butter. Cook the patties in a hot skillet to preferred doneness (medium-rare is recommended).
- Warm up the sliced pickled jalapenos on the grill or in a fry pan for about 30 seconds, then place them atop the cooked patties. Melt Cheddar over top of the jalapenos. Spread horseradish sauce on the bottom buns and add some shredded lettuce. Add the patties on top of the lettuce. Spoon on about 2 tablespoons of hot mess per burger. Spoon on or use a squeeze bottle to dollop 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons pigferno BBQ sauce on each burger. Sprinkle the crispy jalapenos over the top to add some crunch.