Chef's Cherry BBQ Burger

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 100 g baby spinach
• 4 slice(s) cheddar cheese (white cheddar)
• 8 slice(s) Bacon, thinly sliced
• 600 g coarsely ground beef, approx. 23% fat content, from your trusted butcher
• Sea salt and pepper, coarsely ground
• 2 large onions
• 20 g butter
• 30 g cane sugar
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar, dark
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 pinch of salt
• 500 g sweet cherries, pitted
• 100 g agave syrup
• 100 ml cherry juice
• 1 ½ lime(s), juice
• ½ lime(s), zest
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp chili flakes
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika powder
• 2 pieces of dark chocolate
• 20 g fresh yeast
• 10 g salt
• 35 g sugar
• 500 g wheat flour type 550
• 250 ml milk, lukewarm
• 40 g butter, soft
• 1 tbsp butter, melted, alternatively beaten egg to brush the buns before baking

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour; Cooking/baking time approx. 1 hour 15 minutes; Total time approx. 2 hours 15 minutes

Chef’s Burger with caramelized onions, beech smoked bacon, cherry chili BBQ sauce, baby spinach, white cheddar and 150g beef in a brioche bun

Grill 8 slices of thinly sliced ​​bacon on the griddle for 2-3 minutes on each side until crispy. For the caramelized onions, cut the onions into strips, melt the butter in a pan, and sauté the onions until translucent, then remove. Add the sugar to the pan and caramelize until golden brown, then deglaze with the balsamic vinegar. Add the onions and all the remaining ingredients to the pan and simmer until jam-like. Then remove the bay leaf. For the BBQ sauce, simmer the cherries with the agave syrup, cherry juice, lime juice and zest, Worcestershire sauce, and spices over medium heat for 30 minutes, then puree. Add 2 pieces of dark chocolate and stir in. Season with chili to taste. For the patties, divide the ground beef into 4 pieces and shape into balls. Now, using either a burger press or a 10cm diameter burger ring, gently press the patties into shape. Don’t press too hard; the meat should still be nice and fluffy inside. For 12 brioche buns, dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm milk and then mix with the remaining ingredients. Knead slowly in a food processor for 3 minutes. Knead on a high speed for 5 minutes. Alternatively, knead the dough thoroughly by hand for 10 minutes. The gluten structure should be well developed and the dough should have a smooth surface. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise for 1 hour at room temperature. Divide into 12 dough pieces, shape them into nice balls, and let rise for another hour. Then brush with melted butter or egg. To ensure the buns are nice and even, bake them in a greased 10cm diameter burger ring. Place 50ml of water in an ovenproof container on the floor of the oven. Bake the buns in a hot oven at 190°C (top/bottom heat) for approx. 15-18 minutes. Any leftover buns can also be frozen. Simply thaw and reheat. Assemble the burgers: Halve the required 4 buns, butter the cut sides, and toast them on the grill. Then top the bottoms with a handful of baby spinach and drizzle with some cherry chili BBQ sauce. Grill the patties for 2-3 minutes on one side, season well with sea salt and cracked pepper, then turn them over, season again, and top each with 2 tablespoons of caramelized onions, 2 slices of bacon, a dash of BBQ sauce, and 1 slice of cheddar. Grill for another 2 minutes, until the cheddar has melted. Place the bun lids on top and secure each burger with a skewer.