A burger and beer make a great duo. Imagine a sweet and salty topped burger paired with a yummy saison. At the Dazzle Jazz Club in Denver, CO I encountered a burger topped with peanut butter, blue cheese, and bacon. Yes, you heard me right! The creaminess of the peanut butter balances the salty pungent blue cheese and well, the bacon is just salty goodness! After making some beer candied bacon and my brother’s suggestion of a burger night, it was time for a homemade replicate.
This unique burger needed a unique pairing to compliment and balance the flavors. Finding the right beer took some time. I wanted a brew with a lighter body and full flavor to hold its own against this burger. A fruity saison or berliner weisse were the two styles I was exploring. I decided on the Tarte Apricot Saison aged in Chardonnay Barrels by Nebraska Brewing. The typical fruity and spicy notes of saisons seemed fitting and I thought the flavors in this beer paired nicely. It was much different than your typical burger and pale ale pairing…This burger screams different 🙂
Ingredients
- 1 lb beer candied bacon
- 1 large onion
- 2-3 lb burger meat
- 4-5 buns
- blue cheese crumbles
- creamy peanut butter
Instructions
- Make the bacon per these instructions: click here. I used a different beer this time as I was making it gluten-free. However, a lot of beers would work for this: stout, scotch ale, or anything malty.
- Caramelize the onions.
- Prepare burger meat with desired seasonings. We kept it simple and did salt, pepper, and maybe garlic.
- Once beer candied bacon and caramelized onions are prepped, heat the grill. If desired, smash the burgers down on the hot surface. This is the new technique that my brother likes.
- When burgers are almost done, toast the buns.
- Assemble the burgers: toasted bun, peanut butter, beer candied bacon, blue cheese crumbles, caramelized onions, burger, toasted bun.
Notes
The ingredient amounts are estimated and should be adjusted accordingly.
More To Love:
Candied Bacon
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