Recipe: Brunch burger from Buttermilk Kitchen

This week, we’re sharing the recipe for the brunch burger special at Buttermilk Kitchen in Buckhead.

Buttermilk Kitchen founder and “Brunch Season: A Year of Delicious Mornings from the Buttermilk Kitchen” cookbook author Suzanne Vizethann said her Italian background inspired the recipe, which pairs a burger patty with crispy pancetta and a fried egg.

“I like using thinly sliced pancetta because it gets so crispy in the oven, making it the perfect accompaniment to the juicy burger,” she said.

Although pancetta is readily available in most grocery stores or specialty shops, Vizethann recommends purchasing it from Pine Street Market in Avondale Estates.

Viezethann advises letting the meat come to room temperature before cooking to ensure it cooks evenly and for better browning. Cooking on a cast-iron skillet rather than a grill catches all the juices released from the meat, making for a better-tasting burger. And make sure to fry eggs runny to allow for sopping up the yolk with the bun.

You’ll end up with extra burger sauce, which Vizethann uses in other sandwiches, wraps, and dips, or over roasted or grilled vegetables.

Makes 4 burgers

Ingredients

Burger sauce

• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup Duke’s mayonnaise
• 2 Tbsp sweet pickle relish
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 1 Tbsp white vinegar
• 1-2 Tbsp minced onion
• 1 tsp paprika

Crispy pancetta

• 1/4 pound thinly sliced pancetta
• Thyme sprigs
• Brown sugar to taste

Burgers

• 1 1/2 pounce 80/20 ground beef
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 thick slices sharp cheddar cheese (or cheese of choice)
• 4 burger buns
• 1/2 stick butter, room temperature
• Burger sauce
• 4 large eggs

Directions

1. Prepare the burger sauce: Combine ketchup, mayonnaise, pickle relish, honey, vinegar, onion, and paprika in a small bowl. Refrigerate until ready to use.
2. Bake the pancetta: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Lay pancetta on a baking sheet. Place a sprig of thyme over each slice and sprinkle with brown sugar to taste. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.
3. Prepare the burgers: Divide ground beef into four equal portions and form into patties about 1 inch thick and 4 inches in diameter. Liberally season each patty with salt and pepper.
4. Cook the burgers: Preheat a cast-iron skillet or a grill over medium-high heat. Add about 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan and place patties, leaving space between each one. Lightly apply pressure with a spatula to the patty tops, but not so much that juices run out. Cook for 6 minutes on each side for medium rare.
5. Add the details: Fry eggs to your liking. Put the patties on a baking sheet and top each patty with a slice of cheese. Place under the broiler until the cheese is just melted (about 30 seconds).
6. Open the burger buns and slather each piece with butter (about 1 tablespoon for each half) and toast well in the skillet or on the grill.
7. Spread 1 to 2 tablespoons sauce on the bottom buns, place the patties on top of the sauce, add the eggs and pancetta, and close with the tops.