Grilled burgers with bacon

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 4 burger buns
• 8 slices of bacon for the grill
• 100 g bacon for the burgers
• 700 g minced beef or mixed
• 1 tbsp pepper
• ½ tbsp salt
• 1 tbsp paprika powder
• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 onion(s)
• 4 slices of cheddar cheese
• n. B. Iceberg lettuce, some leaves
• some ketchup
• some sauce (hamburger sauce)
• 1 gherkin(s), pickled
• Butter for the pot

Instructions

Working time approx. 15 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 10 minutes; Total time approx. 25 minutes

with extra bacon

Cut the 100g of bacon into small pieces and fry in a pan until crispy, then let cool slightly. Combine the mince with mustard, salt, pepper, and paprika, then stir in the crispy bacon. Form into 4 patties, each about 200g. I use a burger press; this ensures even patties, just the right size for XL burger buns, and has small indentations that prevent them from bulging while grilling. You can also do this by hand; use a spoon to make a small indentation on one side of the patties; this also helps the burgers hold their shape while grilling. Slice the onion into rings and the gherkin into thin slices. Cut the burger buns in half. Preheat the grill to high, direct heat. Add a little butter to a small, ovenproof saucepan and add the onion rings. Place the pot on the grill, either on the raised warming rack or in a corner with indirect heat. Place the bacon slices on a grill tray and grill at the same time as the patties. Grill the patties over direct heat for 4 minutes, then flip and grill for another 4 minutes. Place a slice of cheddar cheese on each patty and grill for about 1 more minute, until the cheese melts. After the first 4 minutes of grilling, briefly grill the bottom halves of the burger buns on both sides, then spread with a little ketchup, top with some iceberg lettuce and the cucumber slices. Place two slices of bacon on each burger and the cheese-covered patties on top. Finally, add the toasted onion rings and a little hamburger sauce. Finish with the top half of the bun, which has also been briefly grilled on both sides. To ensure the burger keeps its shape and is easy to eat with a knife and fork, I stick a shish kebab skewer through the top of each burger.