Mmmmm... Bacon... I've been a recovering vegetarian for seven years. My ideals are the same, but fortunately for me, awareness of food-related issues in our culture has led to much better options for deliciousness like bacon. There is something to be said about the role certain foods play in the human experience. A summer BLT, for example, with garden-ripe tomatoes and thick-sliced bacon. That BLT transports me to summers in my parents' house, sitting down at the dinner table with my family while the vent over the stove still works to clear the air of bacon grease and smoke. Or a cheeseburger at 1:00 AM after drinks with friends, pressed über thin with gooey processed cheese melting on top. It might sound weird, but I firmly believe these things are part of the American experience. And if there is one thing I value above all else, it is collecting as many experiences as life can offer.
Anyway, I'm done waxing nostalgic about meat (for now). On to the tasty burger I just ate for dinner! I've long held the belief that almost any savory food is better when topped with a fried egg. If you've never had a burger topped with a fried egg, you're missing out. And a fried egg plus bacon? Forget about it! Tasty protein explosion!
I don't think I make burgers the same way twice. I pretty much combine whatever ground meat we have stocked up in the freezer with diced onions, seasoning salt, a little Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce, mix it up and patty it out. In this particular case, I used one pound each of ground beef (from my husband's family farm), one pound of ground pork (also from my husband's family farm), and one pound of ground venison (I traded two dozen eggs with a co-worker for some of his venison from deer season). I would post this part of the recipe, but it's really not the important part. Almost everyone has a great go-to burger recipe, and all of them would taste equally awesome topped with a fried egg and some...
Yeah, BACON. In this case, the bacon comes from Salume Beddu, a St. Louis business that specializes in cured meats that are locally sourced and naturally raised. This is some extra tasty peppered bacon that comes from Berkshire hogs. It costs a fortune on the bacon-scale, but if my options are (A) commercially produced bacon from sad, confined piggies, (B) no bacon, or (C) pricey bacon from a local, independently owned business sourced from heritage breed farms, I'm going to choose "C" all day long.
So, this is my first EGG of my challenge and it's not much of a recipe, but I happened to have leftover burgers that we grilled this past weekend and I thought, "Why not?" I mean, even if one person reads this and thinks, "I've never tried a fried egg on a burger, but I'm intrigued!" then I'm a happy camper.
So, here's what you need (if you haven't riddled it out already):
- Burger buns (I always buy the whole wheat Healthy Life brand because they are only 80 calories and a girl has to watch her figure... sometimes)
- Cheese of your choice
- Bacon
- Mayo
- Lettuce, tomato or any other toppings that float your boat
I'm not going to hold your hand through stuff you already know. Essentially, you just need to assemble a burger per your desires. I'd recommend putting the cheese on top of the burger and under the egg. The heat from the fried egg and the heat from the burger help the cheese get melty. Plus, when the bacon is on top, it helps it stay crispy.
Behold! An amalgamation of delicious tastes and textures! Soft, yet toasted bun... Cold, crisp lettuce... Juicy, salty burger... Crunchy, peppered bacon... Rich, runny egg yolk!
You know you want one.
Love & Eggs,
Laura
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| This egg brought to you by Brontë, my Silver-Laced Wyandotte.
She's the black and white one in the back.
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