Ultimate Pub Burger

I call this the Ultimate Pub Burger because every bit of it has something to do with beer.  It is the ultimate in beer goodness married with burger goodness.  Or is that greatness?

So let's start with the bun.  I'd love to say I came up with this recipe, but I was not the genius who did.  This recipe can be found here and I highly recommend it!

http://thebeeroness.com/2013/09/04/homemade-beer-burger-buns/

Now, let's move on to the burger itself.  It's a Guinness burger.  Seeeeee, more beer!  If you're making 1 pound of hamburger, you're going to need 1/2 slice of pumpernickel rye bread.  But that in a bowl and add enough Guinness beer to just soak the bread.  mix with your fingers until the bread is finely grained.  You don't want big chunks of bread in your burger.  Then add 1 tablespoon of Worsteshire sauce.  Is that how you spell it?  Probably not, but i'm just going with it.  Then add salt, pepper, teaspoon of onion powder and garlic powder and then mix into your beef.  Make your patties and then set aside for the flavors to mingle.  Like a singles mixer, but one where no one is shy or awkward, they all up in each others business.

Okay, the onions!  Slice up 2 white onions and add to a pan with two tablespoons of butter, salt and pepper.  Saute on low heat for about 20 minutes.  Before the onions loose the majority of their crunch, add in 1/4 cup of Guinness beer.  All that to continue to cook and the beer flavor will soak into the onions and  the liquid will evaporate.  It will cook for a total of about 45 minutes to an hour.  Low and slow is the way to go. In the last 5 minutes add a few splashes of balsamic vinegar and a tablespoon of dried thyme.  if you use fresh (which I wish I had) use a little less.

Finally, what might be my favorite part.  Beer cheese sauce!

Add 3 tablespoons of butter to a pot on medium heat and once melted, add 3 tablespoons of flour.  That's right, a roux!  Keep whisking for 3 minutes.  now add 1/2 cup of heavy cream and 1/2 cup of warm beer (I used what I had left from the buns).  Continue to whisk and leave over medium low heat. It will slowly thicken. then add 1/3 of a package of cream cheese and whisk until incorporated.  Now, add 1 cup of shredded colby jack cheese. Then I added some pepper, cayenne pepper (just a bit, not as much for heat, but to break the richness a little), some nutmeg, and I added about 3 tablespoons of jalapeno juice from a picked jalapeno jar.  Continue to whisk and allow to simmer.  This will keep thickening.

Grill your burgers.  Or pan fry.  What ever floats your boat. The beer mixture will make it more moist and more prone to breaking apart so resist the urge to flip initially.  You want that thing to pull together.

All you have to do then is assemble.  Bun, burger, onions, then cheese sauce.  Then eat.

Then smile  :O)