Southern Pimento Cheese Burger By Harold Cohen - Ultimate Burger

Total Time: 50 mins Preparation Time: 35 mins Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients

• 1 cup extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded, at room temperature
• 1/3 cup monterey jack cheese, shredded, at room temperature
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise, room temperature
• 2 tablespoons cream cheese, room temperature
• 2 ounces diced pimentos, drained (from jar)
• 1 tablespoon bread and butter pickle juice
• 1/2 tablespoon horseradish sauce
• 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 1/4 cups cabbage, shredded
• 8 slices thick-cut applewood smoked bacon
• 1 1/4 lbs ground chuck
• 1/4 lb cured and smoked country ham, finely chopped (or chopped in a food processor)
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 4 potato hamburger buns, split
• 1/2 cup potato chips, crushed (preferably plain flavor, kettle-cooked)

Recipe

• 1 make pimento cheese:.
• 2 in a medium mixing bowl, combine cheddar and jack cheeses, mayonnaise, cream cheese, pimento peppers, pickle juice, horseradish sauce, and mustard; mix until well combined.
• 3 make honey slaw:.
• 4 in a small mixing bowl, combine mayonnaise, honey, and cabbage; mix until well combined.
• 5 cook bacon:.
• 6 heat a 12-inch nonstick grill pan over medium-high heat. add bacon and cook until the bacon is crispy, about 5 minutes, flipping once. drain on paper towels. pour off almost all of the bacon fat from the pan, leaving a very thin layer.
• 7 make patties:.
• 8 preheat oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit (for toasting buns).
• 9 combine the beef, country ham, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. handling the meat as little as possible to avoid compacting it, mix well. divide the mixture into 4 equal portions and form into patties to fit the buns. make an indentation in the middle of the top of each pattie to ensure even cooking.
• 10 using the same grill pan as before, cook the hamburgers over medium-high heat for 3 minutes per side or until cooked medium rare.
• 11 meanwhile, place buns on a rack in the oven. bake for 3 to 5 minutes at 375 degrees fahrenheit. also, place the plates that the burgers will be served on in the oven to heat.
• 12 assemble burgers:.
• 13 spread a generous amount of pimento cheese on the cut sides of the buns.
• 14 on each bun bottom (on top of the pimento cheese), place a thin layer of honey slaw.
• 15 top the slaw with a burger patty, 2 slices of bacon, and crushed potato chips.
• 16 add the bun tops.
• 17 place the completed hamburgers on a nonstick baking sheet and bake in the oven for 1 minute.
• 18 serve burgers on warm plates.