2am Breakfast Burger Food

BRUNCH BURGER

Steps:

• Cook the bacon in batches in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 3 minutes per side. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate. Do not wipe out the skillet.
• Shape the ground beef with your hands into 4 round patties about 1 1/2 inches thick and season each burger on both sides with the salt and pepper. Make a divot in the center of each burger. Put the burgers in the skillet with the bacon fat, divot-side up (see Cook's Note). Cook the burgers over medium-high heat, turning once, until golden brown on both sides and cooked to medium doneness, about 8 minutes total. Use a heatproof spoon to remove some of the bacon fat from the skillet as the burgers cook if desired.
• Top each burger with 2 slices of the cheese. Carefully add 1/4 cup of water to the pan and immediately cover tightly with a lid. Count to 10. Lift the lid or dome to make sure that the cheese is totally melted (if not, cover again and count 5 seconds longer). Transfer the burgers to a plate and loosely tent with foil.
• Meanwhile, melt 1 tablespoon of butter in 1 tablespoon of canola oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Carefully crack 2 eggs into two small bowls. Add the eggs to the pan, season with salt and pepper and reduce the heat to medium. Cover the skillet with a lid for 1 to 2 minutes to "baste"; the yolk should still be runny. Remove the eggs from the pan and set aside. Repeat with the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter, 1 tablespoon of canola oil and 2 eggs.
• Stir together the ketchup and hot sauce in a small bowl.
• Toast the buns in a toaster. Spread the spicy ketchup on the top bun. Place the burgers on the bottom buns and top each with a fried egg and 2 strips of crispy bacon. Close the burgers and serve with more spicy ketchup if desired.

BREAKFAST BURGER WITH FRENCH TOAST BUN

Steps:

• For the maple hot butter: Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk in the maple syrup and hot sauce. Keep warm.
• For the burgers: Combine the sausage, beef, parsley, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a mixing bowl. Use your hands to divide the meat into four 4-ounce balls.
• Place a large cast-iron griddle over medium-high heat until warm, then add butter to grease the griddle. Place the balls of meat on half of the griddle and smash into round patties, about 4-inches wide, using a flat spatula. Fry until evenly browned, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Lay a slice of cheese over each patty. Invert a metal bowl over the patties to melt the cheese until it fries into crispy lace on the sides of the burgers, about 2 minutes.
• For the French toast buns: Meanwhile, whisk together the cream, milk and eggs in a bowl. Soak the potato buns briefly in the mixture, about 20 seconds per half.
• Place on the other half of the griddle (you may have to do this in batches) and griddle until golden brown and cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. Remove to a plate and drizzle with the maple hot butter, reserving some for the patties.
• Place avocado slices on the bottom French toast buns, then top with cheesy patties. Drizzle the remaining spicy maple butter over the patties. Top with the remaining French toast buns and serve immediately.

BISTRO BREAKFAST BURGER

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Mix the ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder and hot sauce in a small bowl. Set aside.
• Using a fork, gently mix the beef with the paprika, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Form into four 5-inch patties. Cover and set aside.
• Cook the bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until the fat is rendered and the bacon is crisp, about 8 minutes. Remove and drain on a paper-towel-lined plate. Pour off most of the bacon fat, leaving about 2 teaspoons in the skillet, reserving the extra bacon fat. Heat the skillet over medium-high heat. Add the burgers to the skillet, 2 at a time, and cook until nicely browned, 4 minutes. Flip and cook the other side until the burger is done, about 4 minutes for medium-rare. Repeat with the remaining burgers. Place the burgers on a rimmed baking sheet and place in the oven to keep warm while cooking the eggs.
• Wipe out the skillet. Add 1 tablespoon of the reserved bacon fat to the skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Break the eggs into the skillet and cook until the whites are set, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Meanwhile, brush the buns with melted butter. Place them on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until lightly toasted, about 10 minutes.
• Build the burger by placing a hamburger patty on the bottom bun, add a slice of cheese, 2 pieces of bacon and top with a fried egg. Spread the top bun with some of the spiced ketchup and place on top.

SUNNY'S BREAKIN'-THE-FAST BURGER

Steps:

• For the rolls: Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.
• Scoop a bit of bread out of each roll top to create a well, discarding the scooped bread. Brush the insides, top and bottom, with the melted butter. Close the rolls and wrap individually or together in aluminum foil, then place directly on the oven rack to warm while preparing the burgers, no longer than 20 minutes.
• For the burgers: Add the ground chuck, bacon, paprika, salt and a few grinds of pepper to a large bowl. Gently mix with your non-dominant hand, using your fingers like a pitchfork so you don't squish the meat. Mound the mixture into a ball and divide in half, then divide each half in half again to make 4 even portions.
• Add a drizzle of olive oil to a griddle pan over high heat. Gently roll each portion of meat into a ball and place on the pan. Using the back of a plate, a flat lid or a spatula (with no holes), press each ball into a flat patty, slightly larger than the rolls. Cook the patties until they easily release from the griddle, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip, then top each with a slice of cheese and continue to cook until the patties are cooked through and the cheese is melted, another 2 to 3 minutes.
• Meanwhile, add the jalapeño to the griddle and char on all sides, then remove and finely chop, removing the seeds if you would like less heat.
• Build the burgers: Whisk the hot sauce and maple syrup together in a small bowl. Remove the rolls from the oven and unwrap. Put a patty on each roll, then drizzle each with the maple hot sauce. Top each with some jalapeño followed by a fried egg and more hot sauce as desired.

BREAKFAST BURGERS

Steps:

• For the dressing: Stir the mayonnaise, mustard and horseradish together in a small bowl and set aside.
• For the burgers: Gently mix together the ground beef, sausage and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Divide the meat into 4 pieces and form each into a 4-inch patty.
• Melt the butter in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add the patties. Cook until well browned, about 3 minutes, and then flip. Top with some of the cheese and continue to cook until the cheese is melted and the burger is just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Spread the toasted muffins with some of the mustard dressing and top with a slice of tomato and a burger patty.
• Crack the eggs into the skillet with the sausage drippings and cook to your preference.
• Place an egg on each burger and finish with some baby arugula on the top of the English muffin.

THE GREAT BREAKFAST BURGER

Steps:

• Put the onion, ketchup and oyster sauce in a food processor, then blend to a coarse paste, scraping down the sides of the processor if you need to. Put the sausagemeat into a mixing bowl, beat in the onion mix, egg yolk and 25ml water (and I mean really beat; if you have a tabletop mixer, do it in that), then add the parsley. Separate the mix into 8, roll into large balls, then flatten into patties. Chill on a plate for 1 hr.
• To cook the burgers, heat a griddle or large frying pan without adding any extra fat. Fry for 3 mins on one side until golden, turn down the heat for 5 mins, then flip and repeat on the other side.
• While the burgers cook, fry the bacon and, if you are game, some eggs as well. Heat the grill, then lightly toast the insides of the ciabatta buns.
• Place the cooked burgers on a baking sheet, put a slice of cheese on each, then pop under the grill to melt. Sit the burgers on their buns, then place the bacon on top. If you feel like them, slide fried eggs on top of the bacon. Serve with a napkin.