The 50/50 Bacon Hamburger.

So there are hamburgers and cheeseburgers, and sometimes they even come with bacon on top. This baby is a whole different breed. Awhile back a member of 20sb, TJ of SoCalTJ, posted about how much he loves a burger from a local restaurant. Apparently, it's made of half ground beef and half bacon. I decided then and there that I must attempt this from the comfort of my own home. Don't worry, it's completely safe and very very easy to accomplish.

The ingredients are minimal:

• your favorite ground beef (Jake likes lean)
• your favorite bacon
• pepper
• cheese (optional, but delicious)
• hamburger buns

Don't forget, half of this burger is made of bacon so you'll need only half the amount of hamburger that you'd normally use to feed your family. Also, no salt or sauces? Bacon is salty, you don't need to add more. Also, don't add too much Worcestershire (if any), just a few drops will do (more about this at the very bottom).

I took this photo three times and each time it came out blurry. 

Cut your strips of bacon into small pieces and put them in a bowl (I used about 7 strips to make 3 burgers). If you have a meat grinder that would probably be the easier way to do it.
Add your beef (I used 1/2 lb.).
Add pepper and gently mix.
Shape mixture into a patty shape.
Cook however you normally cook hamburgers (I did mine on the skillet, it's cold outside!)
I cooked them on medium-high for well over 20 min. These hamburgers have to be cooked well done. You don't really have a choice. If you don't, your bacon will not fully cook.

Jake has stated that these are way better than normal burgers and better than burgers with bacon on top. Looks like they're a keeper. Thanks for the great idea, TJ.

Some tips about cooking burgers/meat in general.

• Don't handle the meat too much, it takes away the flavor. 
• Don't flip meat more than once. Again, it's all about the flavor. Just be patient. 
• Also, don't squish your meat with the spatula, it squeezes all the juices out. 
• To help your hamburgers not shrivel up while cooking, make an indent in the middle of them with your thumb, so they kind of look like a red blood cell. 

My friend Sam is a chef and these are his tips regarding the 50/50 burger:

"When I make my own burger grind I put bacon into it to add fat content, but yes, you have to cook them well done, which sort of sucks. 

Also, the bacon is going to impart salt, and a smokey flavor, 

so use plenty of black pepper and little to no salt. 

The secret to a good hamburger is to handle it as little as possible, definitely only flip it once. 

When you're handling patties too though.
Gently roll into a ball, squish, close up the ends, that's it. 

The more you roll it around and smush it between your fingers the more you denature your proteins which makes them bind, and removes the tender flakiness. 

You want your grill to be screaming hot, hotter than you think you need it, those char marks make up a lot of the flavor profile of ground beef. 

Same concept for a skillet, caramelization is key.  

If you add soy, too much Worcestershire, or onions, anything that adds moisture, you reduce that caramelization."

And there you have it, burger tips from a pro.