Steakhouse burgers with onion rings

Ingredients:

Hamburgers

• Vegetable oil, for frying
• 8 thick slices of bacon
• Half a medium red onion, cut into 0.5 cm wide rings.
• 0.5 cups of sour milk or kefir
• 1 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon homemade seasoning
• 900 g of ground beef with 20% fat content
• 0.5 tsp garlic powder
• Half a head of iceberg lettuce, cut into 1cm wide strips.
• 0.5 cup - 1 cup blue cheese dressing
• 4 brioches
• 4 large cherry tomatoes

Homemade seasoning

• 1/4 cup garlic powder
• 1/4 cup onion powder
• 1/4 cup sweet paprika
• 1/4 cup coarse salt
• 1/4 cup freshly ground black pepper

Blue cheese dressing

• 2/3 cup sour milk or kefir
• 2/3 cup sour cream
• 2 tbsp. l. chopped chives
• 0.5 tsp garlic salt
• 1 cup crumbled blue cheese
• Special equipment: meat thermometer

Preparation:

1. In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat 2 inches of vegetable oil over medium heat to 350°F (185°C).
2. While the oil is heating, place the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat and cook until crispy on both sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Pour 2 tablespoons of the rendered fat into a small bowl and set aside to cool.
3. Place the onions in the buttermilk. Place flour in a bowl or shallow baking dish. Dredge a few onion rings in the flour at a time, shaking to remove excess flour. Add to the hot oil and fry until golden brown and crisp, about 4 minutes. Then transfer to a baking sheet fitted with a wire rack and sprinkle with the homemade seasoning while the onions are still hot. Fry the remaining onions in the same manner and set aside.
4. Using your hands, mix the ground beef with the cooled bacon fat and garlic powder. Form the ground beef into 4 equal-sized patties, loosely pressing the mixture together. Make a well in the center with your finger to prevent the patties from swelling while frying. Place on a baking sheet or large plate and generously season with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat the same pan you used to fry the bacon over medium heat.
5. Add the patties, dimpled side up, and cook for 5-6 minutes on one side. Flip the patties and cook until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 130-140°F (57-60°C) for medium-rare (the internal temperature will continue to rise after removing the patties from the heat), about 5 more minutes. Remove the patties from the pan.
6. Add the buns to the same pan and toast until golden brown.
7. To assemble burgers, place one patty on top of the toasted bun half.
8. Drizzle with a couple of tablespoons of blue cheese dressing. Top with fried onions, some iceberg lettuce, more blue cheese dressing, and two slices of bacon. Top with the other bun half and place a cherry tomato on top, securing everything with a steak knife as a skewer. Serve immediately.
   
   Homemade seasoningCombine garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and black pepper in a medium bowl. Store in a tightly sealed container for up to 6 months.
   
   Blue cheese dressing:
   
   In a small bowl, combine the sour milk, sour cream, green onions, garlic salt, and black pepper until smooth. Add crumbled blue cheese. Refrigerate until ready to use.