There comes a time in your life when you really need to lay it all on the line. You need to bet it all on the prettiest horse and hope she runs like Forrest Gump with snazzy Nikes. Sure, you could walk away less rich, but in the end, you can say you went for it. You can say you tried.
This Ultimate Brisket Burger is one such event to try. It is a monolith of flavors, piled higher than your plate at the Chinese food buffet on your cheat day. We start with Omaha Steaks Brisket Burgers, which in and of itself are greatness personified, and we grill them to pink, juicy perfection. Then we toast up an onion roll, slather it with homemade Blue Cheese Aioli, top it with that patty, and melt heavenly Havarti cheese over it. Because we can’t leave good enough alone, we take a few thousand slices of Omaha Steaks Applewood Smoked Steak-Cut Bacon baked off with a healthy layer of brown sugar and jalapeno slices and mound them on top of the patty. Next, we pile it high with homemade Onion Straws – a super thin onion slice dredged in buttermilk batter and fried crispy golden. If that wasn’t enough, we add a healthy dollop of homemade Spicy BBQ Sauce – enough to come dribbling down the sides of the burger each time you take a bite.
Ehhhhhhpic.
Sure, it takes preparation. Sure, you’re going to ask yourself why on earth you need so many steps for a burger. But then you take a bite at the end of all that hard work and realize – this was so worth it.
Now I know my blog name alone is a contradiction to the time devoted to this burger. I’m not going to lie – Lazy Mom was tired after making this. But if we look at this burger preparation differently, we actually see that the process for creating this burger on the day of isn’t that bad.
What to do the day before…
Blue Cheese Aioli
Ingredients
- 3 egg Yolks
- 1 tsp. garlic
- 2 tsp. lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
- 1 tsp. Worcestershire
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles
Instructions
- In a food processor, combine egg yolks, garlic, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and Worcestershire.
- Pulse just until combined.
- With food processor on, drizzle oils in slowly until the aioli has thickened.
- Remove the blade and fold in the blue cheese.
- Pour aioli into a sealed container (I use a mason jar) and store in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Spicy BBQ Sauce
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1 tsp. minced garlic
- 1/2 tsp. liquid smoke
- 1/2 tsp. onion powder
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
- 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 tsp. chipotle chili powder
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and simmer over low heat for one hour, stirring occasionally. Allow it to cool completely, then pour into a sealed container such as a mason jar and store in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Brown Sugar Jalapeno Applewood Smoked Bacon
Ingredients
- 1 pkg. Omaha Steaks Applewood Smoked Steak Cut Bacon
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 4-5 jalapenos seeded, halved, and sliced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 F.
- Insert wire racks into two baking sheets lined with aluminum foil. (This helps with cleanup.)
- Arrange slices out on each baking sheet, spaced closely together.
- Liberally sprinkle brown sugar over each slice of bacon, then top with about 3-4 jalapeno slices.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until desired doneness. (Bacon is thick and may require additional baking for the tray on the bottom rack.)
- Allow bacon to cool completely, then store on wax paper in layers and refrigerate until ready to use. (Microwave on a plate, covered with a paper towel for 20 seconds before using.)
What to do the day of…
Deep Fried Buttermilk Onion Straws
Ingredients
- 1 vidalia onion
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 1 cup milk
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1 Tbsp. paprika
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 Tbsp. salt
- 1 tsp. pepper
- 1 tsp. cumin
- 1/2 tsp. cayenne
- 1 bottle vegetable oil
- garlic salt for sprinkling after frying
Instructions
- Pour oil into a large stock pot fitted with a thermometer and heat over medium to medium high heat.
- Slice onion on the thinnest setting on a mandolin.
- Set aside.
- Combine buttermilk and milk in a large measuring cup and stir.
- In a bowl, combine all dry ingredients and use a fork to combine.
- Slowly add wet ingredients while stirring. Let sit for 5 minutes while the oil heats to 350 F in a large stock pot.
- Fit a sheet tray with a wire rack and set it beside the stock pot.
- Add onions to the batter and use your hands to make sure all the rings are coated.
- When the oil has reached 350 F, begin adding the onion rings one at a time, spacing them apart in the oil so they don’t clump. (Don’t crowd the oil because this will cause the oil to lose heat, which will force the batter to take on too much oil and render a very oily ring.)
- Flip each ring when the underside is golden brown, then remove from the oil to the wire rack when fully cooked.
- Sprinkle with garlic salt.
- Repeat until all the onions have been fried.
The Ultimate Brisket Burger
Ingredients
- 4 Omaha Steaks Brisket Burgers
- salt
- pepper
- Omaha Steaks Steak Seasoning
- Worcestershire sauce
- 8 slices havarti cheese
- 4 onion rolls or burger buns
- oil
Instructions
- Remove defrosted patties from the refrigerator and packaging.
- Arrange them on a platter and liberally season with salt, pepper, and steak seasoning.
- Top with a couple dashes Worcestershire sauce.
- Cover and let sit for 15 minutes.
- Fire up the grill and bring it to 450 F.
- When the grill has reached the optimum temperature, carefully lay patties out on the grill plates. Grill for 5 minutes with the cover closed, then turn patties 45 degrees and let cook with the cover closed for another 3 minutes.
- Flip burgers and cook for 5 minutes, then top each patty with two slices of cheese and cook for another 3 minutes.
- Remove patties to the washed platter and let sit, covered, for 3 minutes.
- Brush each bun with oil and toast on the grill until golden brown.
To assemble:
- Slather an obscene amount of the Blue Cheese Aioli onto the bottom slice of the roll.
- Add the brisket burger patty, then top with 3 slices of the Brown Sugar Jalapeno Bacon.
- Pile the onion straws on as high as you can get them, then drizzle a ridiculous amount of Spicy BBQ Sauce on top of the onion straws.
- Slather more of the aioli on the top bun, then add the bun to the top of the heap.
- Serve with a vat of the BBQ sauce for dipping, plus a roll of paper towels and perhaps a drop cloth.
- This burger takes commitment.
- You have to put all your chips on the table and trust the dice to roll exactly as you need.
- But with a little bit of preparation, you’ll hit the jackpot!
