Are You a Bacon Fan?

Today is National Bacon Lovers Day and Chocolate Pecan Pie Day. Hum, what should we talk about? Bacon, of course!

Let me begin with this all-important disclaimer. The recipe I am about to share I have never actually made. It was “created” from a picture I found online. While this burger would be amazingly insane to serve up, it’s also a heart attack on a bun. The inspiration came from Wendy’s Baconator, a whopping 920-calorie fast-food burger. Since today is Bacon Lovers Day, a burger called the Baconator seemed like a great place to start. Mine, if you were to eat it, would be about 1,800 calories, provided you start with very lean ground beef – like 7% fat. Use the typical 80-20 mix and you’re talking somewhere in the neighborhood of 2,300 calories just for the burger. That’s more than some people eat in an entire day. So yeah, while it looks amazing – I don’t recommend actually eating a one-pound burger. That’s just crazy.

The Baconator was first introduced to Wendy’s customers in April 2007, as part of a “Back to Basics” campaign designed to appeal to the 18 to 34-year-old demographics. It was intended to expand late-night sales. Yeah, because that’s what I want late at night – a bacon cheeseburger. The original Baconator was made with two square all-beef patties, bacon, ketchup, mayo and American Cheese sandwiched between a hamburger bun. I don’t fully understand how adding bacon while removing the typical lettuce, onion and tomato was a return to the basics. One of the things we like about Wendy’s burgers vs. most other fast-food burgers is that it most closely resembles the burgers you would make at home. Their patties are square to show consumers that the meat is fresh, never frozen. Yeah, like you couldn’t freeze a square hamburger patty?

Now I will admit, I thought about maybe offering up a BLT for today’s post. Or maybe bacon and eggs. But those seemed a bit pedestrian – without imagination. However, a Baconator on steroids – now that’s worth some attention. Just remember, eat at your own risk. Or you could add more buns and condiments to create 8 double-patty burgers instead.

Insane Bacon Burgers
4 pounds Ground Beef
48 slices Bacon
Salt to taste
Black Pepper to taste
16 slices American Cheese
4 tablespoons Ketchup
4 tablespoons Mayonnaise
4 Large Hamburger Buns

Divide ground beef into 1-pound portions. Divide each portion into 4 quarter-pound portions. Form into square hamburger patties. Place wax-paper squares between patties. Wrap in stacks of four, place in the freezer to firm.

On a large flat griddle, cook bacon until crisp. Drain well, divide into four 12-strip portions. Wrap each portion in foil, keep warm.

When ready, heat griddle to medium. Grill burger patties in batches if necessary. Season each patty with salt and pepper as it cooks. Drain on paper towels, wrap in groups of 4 in foil, keep warn.

Once all the square patties have been cooked, it’s time to assemble. First split open the hamburger buns. On the bottom of each bun, add a squirt of ketchup. Top that with a slice of American Cheese, a patty, another slice of cheese, then 3 strips of bacon. Repeat patty, cheese, bacon until burger is four layers high, ending with bacon. Spread mayonnaise on the top bun, close burger with bun. Wrap in foil, place in a warm oven and repeat assembly until four Insane Bacon Burgers have been assembled.

Serve with fries, a shake and enjoy what could be your last meal.

---

O God, let all the nations praise You!