onion

There ain’t nothin’ skinny about this burger, y’all.  Sometimes you just have to have a big nasty redneck this ain’t yo mama’s southern burger.

Here in the south the typical local burger includes some version of chili, slaw, and mustard.  I find that disgusting unappealing.

I want my burger with homemade pimento cheese, fried green tomatoes, and beer battered onion rings.  Especially in time to kick off the weekend!  Woot!  I also think it’s fair to say that your dad will probably love a big nasty redneck burger for Father’s Day – I know mine would!

As an afterthought, you know what I wish I had done to this burger to take it up another nasty level?

I really wish I  had dropped a big ole runny fried egg on top of that burger.  You should totally do it!

Chris put a fist on top of my masterpiece and smashed his down in order to eat it. 🙂  Whaaaa? Happy Friday, y’all!

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Burger

Ingredients

For the Beer Battered Onion Rings and Fried Green Tomatoes

• 1 vidalia or other sweet onion sliced about 1/4 inch thick and separated from each other into rings
• 1 green tomato 1/4 inch slices
• 1 cups buttermilk
• 2 cups cake flour divided
• 1 egg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup beer - I used Stone Brewery Smoked Porter
• canola oil for frying several cups
• 2 cups Panko bread crumbs

For the Pimento Cheese

• 8 ounces extra sharp white cheddar shredded
• 4 ounces orange sharp cheddar shredded
• 1/2 cup mayonaise
• 1/4 cup jarred pimentos

For the Burgers

• 1 package of ground chuck mine was 1.4 pounds and made 5 burgers
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire
• Salt and pepper according to taste
• 1 fresh jalapeno pepper sliced, optional
• Hamburger buns I used onion rolls

Instructions

1. Combine 1 cup cake flour, egg, paprika, cayenne, and salt in a bowl
2. Whisk in beer (batter will be somewhat lumpy), set aside for 30 minutes
3. Combine all the pimento cheese ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until combined, set aside
4. Prepare the burgers by combining all ingredients in a bowl and form into patties - I made 5 burgers about 1/2 inch thick, press an indentation into the middle of each one
5. Cover burgers with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed
6. Preheat oven to 200
7. Set a wire rack on a baking sheet and set aside
8. Pour canola oil into a heavy pan (I used a cast iron enamel coated Dutch oven) enough to be at least 3 inches deep
9. Heat oil to 350 degrees preferably using a deep fry thermometer
10. in separate bowls put remaining cup cake flour, panko, and buttermilk
11. Take individual rings, dip into buttermilk, then beer batter, then flour, then beer batter, then panko
12. Carefully drop into heated oil a few at a time until golden brown, about 1-2 minutes, then flip for another 1-2 minutes until both sides are golden brown
13. Remove onions from oil with a wire spider/skimmer, set on prepared rack on baking sheet
14. Keep warm in oven until ready to assemble burgers
15. Repeat the same process with the tomatoes
16. Heat cast iron skillet or grill over medium high
17. Fry or grill burgers 3-4 minutes each side, depending how big they are and desired final temperature
18. About 1 minute before removing from pan/grill, top each burger with prepared pimento cheese so it begins to melt
19. Arrange buns on platter, add 1 pimento topped burger per bun, top with 1 fried green tomato, 1 or 2 onion rings, drop jalapeno slices in the center of the onion ring (if using), cover with bun top
20. Serve with additional onion rings

Onion ring recipe adapted from Williams-Sonoma.  I added the panko or a thicker and crispier outer layer in the spirit of fried chicken.

Note: There were only two of us, so 1 onion was enough for burgers and a side of onion rings – double onion ring recipe if you need more

Note:  I think we all know that I’m a weenie and I do not touch jalapeno peppers or anything else spicy with a 10 foot pole, so those did not exist on my burger.  Chris liked them though.  I almost fried those too, but he said he was glad I didn’t.

Note: You could totally add bacon, lettuce, tomato, avocado, fried egg, or any other accoutrements to this burger.  Do whatever blows your dress up.  I’ll still respect you in the morning.

Don’t forget to enter for a chance to win a Williams-Sonoma gift card!