#SamLikesItHot: Ensaymada bacon burger

MANILA, Philippines – July will be all about American classics on #SamLikesItHot. I’m kicking things off with what is probably top of mind for a lot of people on the subject: the burger. 

The beauty of making burgers at home is that you can customize the patty, vegetables, sauce, buns, sides and everything else, so you can have them exactly the way you want them. It’s a lot of fun! 

I decided to go off the beaten path a little bit and make an ensaymada bacon burger. I have long been intrigued by these salty-sweet versions plus I’m a huge fan of the flavor combo.

This recipe serves 6 and you’ll need: 

• 1 lbs ground beef (chuck or round)
• 1 small onion
• 1 T heavy cream
• ½ t salt
• Freshly-ground black pepper to taste
• 6 strips maple-flavored bacon
• 6 ensaymadas

1. Transfer the ground beef into a medium bowl. Grate the onion into the bowl. Add cream, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir gently but thoroughly to mix.

This burger patty recipe is said to be American chef and food writer James Beard’s favorite. It’s simple and tasty with lots of room to play around.

2. Set aside the ground beef mixture. Get a grill pan going on medium and cook the bacon strips to your liking. 

3. Set aside the cooked bacon strips to drain on paper towels. At this point, there will be rendered bacon fat on your grill pan. We are using this to cook the burger patties (evil grin).

Turn up the stove to medium-high. Divide the ground beef mixture into 6. Form each part into a patty using your hands (refer to your ensaymada to decide how wide they should be) and cook on grill pan until done to your liking.

Make sure to rest your burger patties when they’re done cooking. Resting your meat ensures that the juices stay in there.

To make sure my ensaymada burgers are moist and flavorful, I made a sauce to go with them. It’s loosely based on the Big Mac secret sauce recipe and it works well with any kind of burger.

All you have to do is mix everything below in a bowl:

• 3 T mayonnaise
• ¾ t white wine vinegar
• ½ t paprika
• ½ t garlic powder
• ½ t onion powder
• ¾ t mustard
• A dash of sugar (optional)

Assembly time! Halve an ensaymada and build to your liking. I put some lettuce in mine, too. 

I absolutely love how the cheese on the ensaymada turns this into a bacon cheeseburger! 

Yummers. Salty-sweet is always a winner. Glazed donut burger next time? – Rappler.com

Check out our other recipes:

• #SamLikesItHot: Chef Aracama’s kare-kare
• #SamLikesItHot: Kangkong bagoong with lechon kawali
• #SamLikesItHot: Coffee crusted bistek belly
• #SamLikesItHot: Chef Sau’s adobo
• #SamLikesItHot: White lychee sangria
• #SamLikesItHot: Cranberry calamansi scones
• #SamLikesItHot: Yummy summer smoothies
• #SamLikesItHot: Pineapple gazpacho
• #SamLikesItHot: Banana pops
• #SamLikesItHot: Peach mango pie
• #SamLikesItHot: Breakfast quesadillas
• #SamLikesItHot: Cold soba noodles
• #SamLikesItHot: Do-It-Yourself tapas
• #SamLikesItHot: Steak and watermelon salad
• #SamLikesItHot: Cutie cake pops
• #SamLikesItHot: Kesong puti salad with passion-ette
• #SamLikesItHot: Rigatoni with dark chocolate ragu
• #SamLikesItHot: Bananas About You pudding
• #SamLikesItHot: Chicken salad in pita pockets

Sam Oh is a professional TV and events host, radio jock and foodie. Catch her on radio at First Thing In The Morning with Sam and Gibb on Magic 89.9, Monday to Thursday 6 to 9am. She is also a food blogger at Sam Likes It Hot. If you have questions or recipe requests, email desk@rappler.com with subject heading SAM LIKES IT HOT.