Pulled Pork BBQ Cheeseburger with Onion Rings

This burger is a labor of love, if you don't already have smoked pork at the ready. However, there are many ways to cut some corners for this stellar BBQ burger. I'll give you the long and the short versions. Here's the low down on what you'll need for 4 burgers:

Photo byDerek Wolf

"The Long Version" Ingredients:

• 1-2 lbs ground beef
• 6-8 slices cheddar cheese
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tbsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp garlic powder

Beer Battered Onion Rings:

• 2 whole white onions, sliced into 1/4" rounds
• 2 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 2 cups flour
• 12-16 oz light Beer
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1/2 tbsp salt
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tbsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika
• Oil for frying

Burgers:

• Pulled Pork reheated
• 8-10 slices Bacon
• Burger Buns toasted
• Favorite BBQ Sauce

Start by soaking your onion rings. In a large bowl, combine buttermilk with ice, then remove the stems from the onions, peel them, and cut them into 1.5-inch thick rings. Separate the rings and submerge them in the buttermilk mixture. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

While the onion rings are soaking, shape the ground beef into loose 2-ounce balls and place them in the fridge to chill until you're ready to cook.

Get your oil ready for frying by heating a deep cast iron skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat (about 375-400°F). Add 2-3 inches of oil and heat it to 375°F.

For the batter, combine flour, cornstarch, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika in a bowl. Gradually pour in beer, mixing until you achieve a smooth, pancake-like consistency. In a separate bowl, add the remaining flour for dredging the onion rings.

Remove the onion rings from the fridge and start coating them. First, dredge each ring in flour, then dip it into the beer batter, making sure it’s evenly coated. Fry the rings in hot oil for about two minutes per side, or until golden and crispy. Be mindful not to overcrowd the skillet—cook in batches of 3-5 rings at a time. Once they’re done, transfer them to a wire rack lined with paper towels to drain off any excess oil.

Next, it’s time to cook the bacon and burgers. Heat your skillet over medium-high again (around 375-400°F). Fry the bacon until it reaches your desired level of crispiness, then remove it and set it aside. Place the burger balls in the same skillet, season them with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, and allow them to cook for about 30 seconds to develop a crust. Using parchment paper and a spatula, press down on each burger ball to flatten it. Cook for another minute or two, flip them, and season the other side. Add a slice of cheese on top of each patty, letting it melt as the burgers finish cooking.

To build your burgers, spread some mayonnaise on the bottom bun, add one or two of the smashed burger patties, followed by crispy bacon, a few beer-battered onion rings, a handful of pulled pork, and a drizzle of barbecue sauce. Top it off with the upper bun, and your burger is ready to enjoy!

"The Short Version" Ingredients:

• Burger patties, frozen
• Beer battered onion rings, frozen
• Smoked pulled pork (If purchased, please get a good quality pulled pork)
• 6-8 cheese slices
• 8-10 slices of cooked bacon
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tbsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp garlic powder

Season your burgers with the salt, pepper, and garlic powder and grill over medium heat, turning halfway through and seasoning the other side.

Meanwhile, air fry, oven bake, or grill your beer battered onion rings. For the grill, it should take 5-8 minutes each side if cooking from frozen.

Just before burgers are done, top with cheese to melt and place bunts over grill to toast up. Warm the pulled pork if it's not been warmed already.

Now to assemble: Place one cheeseburger patty on a toasted bun, top with crisp bacon and onion rings, then top with pulled pork and your favorite bbq sauce (and of course, the top bun), then Enjoy!!