Recipe by Chef Ted Reader
When it comes to burgers, there is nothing more satisfying than thick and juicy, chin dripping burgers. For these burgers, I found that the relaxed laid back cooking with my Bradley Smoker produced the best ones. Burgers so thick, you will need a flip top head to eat them. So juicy, because you will add a cube of jellied beef or veal demi glace into the center of each burger. A burger to stop your guests in their tracks and a burger that will please a crowd. Give it a shot, you won’t be disappointed and have plenty of napkins!
Let’s get Smoking!
Smoked Onions and Garlic
- 2 large Sweet onions, peeled and cut into eights
- 24 large cloves Fresh garlic
- 2 Bradley Smoker Jerky Racks
- Set up your Bradley Smoker according to manufacturer’s instructions.
- Set temperature at 220°F.
- Place onions on one wire rack and the garlic cloves on another.
- Place in smoker and smoke onions and garlic for 3 hours until the onions are tender and smoky. The garlic will not be soft but it will be smoky. Remove from smoker and allow to cool.
- Reserve the onions for garnishing your burgers or for use in other recipes. Reserve the garlic for mashing and adding to your burger mixture.
Smoked Beerlicious (Juiced) Prime Rib Burgers
Makes 8
Bradley Smoker Temperature: 250°F
- 1-2 Bradley Smoker Wire Racks
- 3 lbs Prime rib of beef (Prime rib makes the ultimate burger! Keep the meat icy cold.)
- 12 cloves Smoked garlic, minced
- 1 cup Crispy fried onions, you will find these in specialty food shops and ethnic grocery stores
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tsp Dijon Mustard
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 8 x 1 tsp cubes Demi glace or reduced beef/veal stock, chilled so it is jellied
- 1 bunch Fresh rosemary
Horseradish Cream
- 1/2 cup Whipped cream cheese
- 1/4 cup Sour cream
- 1/4 cup Mayonnaise
- 3 tsp Hot horseradish
- 1 tsp Fresh chives, chopped
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 8 Burger buns
- 4 cups Arugula
- 1 red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 cup Boursin Cheese
- Prepare your meat grinder according to manufacturer’s instructions. If you don’t have a meat grinder, see your butcher and ask them to grind you up a piece of prime rib.
- Grind the prime rib and the smoked garlic cloves together.
- Place the ground prime rib and smoked garlic into a large bowl. Add the crispy fried onions, Worcestershire sauce and Dijon mustard. Season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Mix gently to combine.
- Divide the prime rib burger mixture into 8 equal parts (approximately 6 oz each). Form each part into uniform sized baseballs. Using your finger, poke a hole into the center of each burger. Place 1 cube of jellied demi glace into the center of each burger and mold the meat around the demi glace. Reshape into a baseball. Refrigerate for 1 hour to allow the meat to rest and remain cold.
- Line the bottom of the wire rack with fresh sprigs of rosemary. Place baseball shaped burgers evenly spaced on top of the rosemary. Place into smoker.
Smoking Time
- Set your thermometer for 160°F for fully cooked. If you are grinding your own meat and wish to cook it less, go for it. For me, I like my burgers at medium doneness about 145°F. Close the door and smoke the burgers for 1 1/2-2 hours until internal temperature is reached.
- Meanwhile, prepare your horseradish cream. In a bowl, combine cream cheese, sour cream and mayonnaise. Add prepared hot horseradish and chopped fresh chives. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper. Transfer to a small serving dish and keep refrigerated until needed.
- Remove burgers from smoker.
- Spread bottom of toasted buns with horseradish cream. Top with a burger. Add your favourite garnish (I like Boursin cheese with these burgers, smoked onions and arugula) but for your burgers dress them the way you like.
