Burnt Ends Cheeseburger
If I could eat one thing for the rest of my life, it would probably be a cheeseburger. If you know anything about me, you know that I love a good burger. My go-to is usually a classic Smash Burger, but I have to say that this Burnt Ends Cheeseburger is next level. I wanted to make some Super Bowl inspired dishes and since Kansas City was playing (and ultimately won), I did a little digging on what are the quintessential Kansas City foods, what are they known for? And one of the first things that came up was burnt ends – what are burnt ends you might wonder – they are exactly what they sound like, the well done or ‘burnt’ ends of a brisket.
For this recipe, I used the ends of a leftover smoked brisket, but if you have any leftover smoked brisket ever, even if it's not just the ends, I highly recommend trying out this recipe. I chopped up my leftover brisket and covered it with a tangy/sweet Kansas city style bbq sauce and butter and let it heat up in the Alchemy smoker. I made a thick burger patty and topped it with American cheese and then made some beer-battered onion rings to add some extra crunch to my burger.
I suggest not skipping making the garlic mayo, it’s so easy to make and adds an extra creamy, garlicky kick to your burger that’s so good with the burnt ends covered in bbq sauce. It’s also super easy to make, just fry up some garlic and give it a mash with a fork, a squeeze of lemon juice and mix it with some mayo. You can also smoke the garlic too, but it will take a bit longer to soften up. I also recommend using a brioche bun, it makes such a different using brioche bread instead of a regular white-bread bun. When you put it all together, you have a toasted brioche bun, garlic mayo, thick flame-grilled cheeseburger, crispy onion rings, pickles, saucy burnt ends and the most insanely delicious burger. If you want to find out how to make my Burnt Ends Cheeseburger, keep reading or jump to the full recipe.
Set smoker to 325F. Season your ground beef with salt and form into a 1-inch thick patty. Drizzle with 1 tsp canola oil and season with salt and pepper on both sides. Set aside for when you’re ready to grill.
Cut your leftover brisket into cubes. Be sure to cut the end of the brisket off, if they are well-done, even better - that's why they're called 'burnt ends'.
Add to a cast iron pan and add in the bbq sauce and butter. Place in the smoker for 30 minutes.
Thickly slice your onions into rings. Separate the pieces and place in a bowl with buttermilk and let sit for 30-60 minutes.
When your onions have had enough time to soak and the brisket is almost ready, add your burger to the grill. Cook about 4-5 minutes. Flip and add cheese on top. Cook another 4-5 minutes, or until cooked through.
Crush your garlic cloves. Add oil to a pan on the plancha, once hot, add in the garlic, cook until softened.
Remove from the oil a place in a bowl. Crush with a fork into a paste. Squeeze in the juice from ½ a lemon, mix. Add in the mayo and mix, set aside.
In a bowl add the flour and beer, mix until incorporated and a batter forms.
Dip your buttermilk-soaked onions to the batter and coat. Add to the oil (350F) and fry, flipping midway, until golden brown, about 10 minutes.
Place your bun on the plancha to toast. To build, add the garlic mayo to the bottom bun.
Add pickles and burger on top. Once onion rings are golden, add three on top of your burger.
Remove the brisket from the smoker and add 2-3 pieces on top of the onion rings and drizzle the brisket pieces with a little bit of the bbq sauce from the pan.
Close the bun and dig in!
And now for the full recipe...
Burnt Ends Cheeseburger
Makes 1 burger
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes
Ingredients:
1/3 lb ground beef
1 tsp canola oil
Salt
Pepper
½ lb leftover smoked brisket
4 tbsp Tangy Sweet Kansas City-Style Bbq sauce
2 tbsp butter
1 onion
500 ml buttermilk
4-5 cloves garlic
2 tbsp mayo
½ lemon, juice
1 cup flour
355ml Heineken or light beer
2 slices American cheese
5 slices bread & butter pickles
1 Brioche bun
1 cup canola oil for frying
How to make the Burnt Ends Cheeseburger
Set smoker to 325F. Season your ground beef with salt and form into a 1-inch thick patty. Drizzle with 1 tsp canola oil and season with salt and pepper on both sides. Set aside for when you’re ready to grill.
Cut your leftover brisket into cubes. Add to a cast iron pan and add in the bbq sauce and butter. Place in the smoker for 30 minutes.
Thickly slice your onions into rings. Separate the pieces and place in a bowl with buttermilk and let sit for 30-60 minutes.
Add your burger to the grill. Cook about 4-5 minutes. Flip and add cheese on top.
Cook another 4-5 minutes, or until cooked through.
Crush your garlic cloves. Add oil to a pan on the plancha, once hot, add in the garlic, cook until softened. Remove from the oil a place in a bowl. Crush with a fork into a paste. Squeeze in the juice from ½ a lemon, mix. Add in the mayo and mix, set aside.
In a bowl add the flour and beer, mix until incorporated and a batter forms. Dip your buttermilk-soaked onions to the batter and coat. Add to the oil (350F) and fry, flipping midway, until golden brown, about 10 minutes.
Place your bun on the plancha to toast. To build, add the garlic mayo to the bottom bun. Add pickles and burger on top. Once onion rings are golden, add three on top of your burger. Remove the brisket from the smoker and add 2-3 pieces on top of the onion rings. Close the bun and crush.
