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Backyard Bacon Cheeseburger Recipe by Ballistic BBQ

by Greg Mrvich

No backyard get-together is complete without one thing: burgers. That’s why Ballistic BBQ host and barbeque aficionado Greg Mrvich is excited to share his ultimate bacon cheeseburger recipe—with his own ultimate burger sauce—in this Backyard Life video.

Greg Mrvich’s Ultimate Backyard Bacon Cheeseburger Recipe
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Greg Mrvich’s Ultimate Backyard Bacon Cheeseburger Recipe

Ultimate Burger Ingredients

  • 80/20 ground chuck

  • Shredded lettuce

  • Cheddar jack & sharp cheddar cheese slices

  • Brioche hamburger buns

  • Dill pickle chips

  • Kosher salt

  • ULTIMATE BURGER SAUCE INGREDIENTS

  • 1/4 cup mayo

  • 1/4 tbsp old-style (seeded) mustard

  • 2 tbsp English-style mustard

  • 1 tsp cider vinegar

  • 1/4 tsp liquid smoke

  • DEEP-FRIED TOPPING INGREDIENTS

  • 2 Anaheim chili peppers (peeled and sliced)

  • 2 yellow chili peppers (peeled and sliced)

  • 1 yellow onion (peeled, halved and sliced)

  • 4 strips bacon (halved and sliced)

  • BREADING MIX INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cup flour

  • 1 cup corn starch

  • 1.5 tsp salt

  • 1.5 tsp pepper

  • 1.5 tsp paprika

Directions

  • Greg kicks off this cook by prepping his sauce. It’s just a mix of mayo, old-style mustard, English-style mustard, vinegar, and liquid smoke mixed together.
  • Using a glove, Greg takes his chili peppers and peels the skin off. He then chops up and slices the chilis julienne-style, and removes all the seeds. Next, he halves and slices his bacon into even smaller strips and chops up a yellow onion. Then he tosses all the chilis, bacon strips, and onions into his breading mix (flour, corn starch, salt, pepper and paprika). Once all of his ingredients have been completely coated, Greg then deep-fries them in peanut oil (preheated to 350ºF) until golden and crispy.
  • After he’s finished deep-frying the toppings, Greg moves on to the thing that makes a burger a burger: the patty. He divvies up his ground chick into 6.5 oz.-patties and sprinkles on a little kosher salt before placing them on flattop griddle. While grilling his patties on medium-high temp, Greg throws his brioche buns on the griddle to give them a nice toasty exterior.
  • No cheeseburger is complete without the cheese, obviously. Once his patties are almost fully-cooked, Greg tops them with cheese slices. While waiting for the cheese to melt, Greg takes the buns and adds a bed of shredded lettuce on the bottom. Once the cheese is melted, Greg moves the patties to the buns and tops them off with pickles, the deep-fried toppings, and some of his ultimate burger sauce on the top bun for a finishing touch.

Recipe Video

And there you have it! Now all that there’s left to do is gather these ingredients, follow Greg’s prep and cook steps, fire up your griddle, and chow down on your own ultimate bacon cheeseburger.

More Like This:

Daniel Arms’ Top Venison Backstrap Recipe

by Daniel Arms

With Oklahoma deer season winding down, veteran homesteader Daniel Arms is turning his attention to something else: enjoying the fruits of his hunting labors! With a freezer full of freshly harvested meat at his disposal, Arms is breaking out his Pit Boss pellet grill to show you how he goes about preparing and cooking his favorite venison backstrap recipe. 

Aside from store-bought potatoes, the Arms Family Homestead host’s grilled backstrap venison will be also be accompanied by salad greens, carrots, and onions picked from his high tunnel greenhouse.

Daniel Arms’ Grilled Venison Backstrap, Steamed Vegetables and Field Salad
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Daniel Arms’ Grilled Venison Backstrap, Steamed Vegetables and Field Salad

Servings

4

servings
Total time

1

hour 

When Daniel Arms isn’t harvesting deer, he’s thinking about the myriad ways he can prepare them. With a freezer full of meat to show for his fall and winter efforts, the Arms Family Homestead host is throwing a couple of backstraps on his pellet grill to set the table for one of his best venison recipes.

Backstrap Cooking Ingredients

  • Lawry’s Steak & Chop with Garlic and Cracked Pepper Marinade

  • Steak and burger seasoning of your choice

  • FOIL PACKET POTATOES & CARROTS COOKING DIRECTIONS

  • Place small baby potatoes, ½ chopped yellow onion, and baby carrots in a foil packet with extra virgin olive oil and seasonings of your choice. Steam cook in the middle of the grill (where there’s the most heat) until cooked to your desire.

  • FIELD SALAD PREPARATION DIRECTIONS

  • Serve backstrap and steamed veggies with greenhouse salad consisting of romaine hearts, kale, and spinach topped with your favorite dressing.

Directions

  • Marinade backstrap in Lawry’s Steak & Chop with Garlic and Cracked Pepper Marinade (or marinade of your choice) in a Ziploc bag for minimum of 3 hours.
  • Remove backstrap from marinade and apply steak and burger seasoning of your preference.
  • Cook backstrap “low and slow” over indirect grill heat for 1-1 ½ hours at 250 degrees, then flip and cook another 1 hour.

Recipe Video

More Wild Game Recipes:

David Bancroft’s Top Seared Wood Duck Recipe

by David Bancroft

Award-winning chef, restaurateur, and Prime Cuts host David Bancroft is known for reimagining, and redefining, wild-game cooking. When the Iron Chef Showdown contestant’s out of the kitchen, however, he’s also known to be deep in the woods hunting up another field-to-table-inspired creation. And, his latest one—this ancho chili honey seared wood duck recipe with a sweet potato hash side—is absolutely to die for. 

Bancroft and his son Walker harvested the protein for this dish at the family’s Union Springs, AL hunting camp south of Auburn. “Wood ducks are small birds, and a special species,” Bancroft noted. “It was like shooting dive-bombing birds!”

Once he and Walker made it home and cleaned their birds it was time to prepare their field to table dinner with the below seared wood duck recipe .

Anyone who’s ever dined at Auburn, AL-based Acre Restaurant will attest to David Bancroft’s passion for field-to-table cuisine being wildly apparent the moment they stepped inside. And, those who know the award-winning chef and Prime Cuts host personally will tell you he’s just as passionate about getting outdoors to pursue many of the wild-game species featured on its menu.  

David Bancroft’s Top Seared Wood Duck Recipe
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David Bancroft’s Top Seared Wood Duck Recipe

Servings

4

servings
Total time

0

minutes

Here’s the Iron Chef Showdown runner-up’s latest creation: ancho chili honey seared wood duck and sweet potato hash.

ANCHO CHILE HONEY SEARED WOOD DUCK Ingredients

  • 6-8 wood duck breasts

  • DUCK SPICE RUB

  • 1 tbsp fine kosher salt

  • 1 tsp garlic powder

  • 1 tsp smoked paprika

  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon

  • 1/4 tsp cumin

  • 1/4 tsp sugar

  • Rub is good on all birds, backstraps, lamb or pork chops.

  • Add 1/4 tsp cayenne to create a spicy rub.

  • ANCHO CHILE HONEY SAUCE

  • 1 1/2 cups honey

  • 1/2 cup sugar

  • 5 garlic cloves (minced)

  • 1 tbsp fine kosher salt

  • 1 1/2 tbsp pepper

  • 1 cup water

  • 1 tbsp ancho chile flakes or 1 ancho chili

  • 3 tbsp sherry vinegar

  • SWEET POTATO HASH

  • 2 large sweet potatoes (1/4-inch diced)

  • 1 red onion (diced)

  • 1 red bell pepper (diced)

  • 1/2 tbsp rosemary (chopped)

  • 2 tsp duck rub

  • 1/2 tsp salt

  • 2 tbsp olive oil

  • Add a dash of cayenne for spicy potatoes.

SWEET POTATO HASH DIRECTIONS

  • Toss all ingredients listed above to season evenly.
  • Place in Pyrex dish and bake in 350° oven until tender or about 15-18 minutes. 
  • Plate alongside seared wood duck.
  • SEARED WOOD DUCK DIRECTIONS
  • Mix the rub spices listed above. 
  • Season each breast evenly with slice rub. 
  • Heat large cast-iron skillet to medium/high heat. 
  • Drizzle a little grape seed or peanut oil in skillet and lay breasts skin-side down.
  • Press each breast down flat with spatula to ensure skin sears evenly.
  • Cook 2-3 minutes (or until crispy), then flip each breast and cook on flesh side for 2 minutes.
  • Remove breasts from skillet and allow to rest before slicing. 
  • Blend all ancho chile honey sauce ingredients listed above until smooth.
  • Place contents in a sauce it and bring to a boil. 
  • Once at a boil, reduce heat and simmer until the suave slightly thickens and coats the back of a spoon. 
  • Spoon or drizzle

More Wild Game Recipes:

David Bancroft’s Smoked Venison Jerky Recipe

by David Bancroft

When David Bancroft’s not steering the ship at his famed Acre and Bow & Arrow Barbecue restaurants, the Iron Chef Showdown winner loves enjoying backyard life with his wife, kids and dogs. But, the James Beard semifinalist always manages to find time for a date with largemouth bass or whitetail bucks (just a few of the many species he loves catching or harvesting). And, every deer season, Bancroft makes it a point to craft as many batches of smoked venison jerky as he can. Here’s his tried-and-true recipe!

David Bancroft's Smoked Venison Jerky Recipe
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David Bancroft’s Smoked Venison Jerky Recipe

Servings

4-6

servings
Total time

1

hour 

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs. 1/4 inch sliced venison

  • JERKY CURE

  • 1 cup Coca-Cola

  • 1/4 cup soy sauce

  • 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

  • 1 tbsp. black pepper

  • 1 tsp. kosher salt

  • 1/2 tbsp. garlic powder

  • 1/2 tsp. chili powder

  • 1 tsp. ground red pepper

Directions

  • Mix all the ingredients for the cure together. 
  • Place jerky cure and sliced venison in a covered bowl or Ziploc bag and refrigerate overnight.   
  • Next day, remove racks from inside smoker. Then, remove venison from cure and organize them on the racks. 
  • Heat smoker to 130°F, and avoid temperatures higher than 150° throughout the drying process.
  • Place smoker racks back inside the smoker and smoke on very low temperature for 4-6 hours, or until the dryness and texture meets your preference. (Bancroft notes that some vertical smokers may dry faster than offset smokers. And, as with most outdoorsman, your personal preference is always right!)

More Wild Game Recipes:

Prime Cuts: Sous Vide Wild-Turkey on the Grill

by David Bancroft

In a recent Prime Cuts Wild Game Edition episode, host and award-winning chef David Bancroft teamed up with Bone Collector star Michael Waddell to demonstrate two ways for preparing wild turkey. While Michael’s jalapeño-dill turkey nuggets (complete with “his and hers” dipping sauces) were a surefire crowd pleaser, David’s grilled, sous vide wild turkey was in a class of its own.

Why use Sous Vide for Wild-Game Cooking?

Sous-vide cooking is the process of sealing food in an airtight container—usually a vacuum-sealed bag—and then cooking it in temperature-controlled water. Professional chefs in nearly all of the best restaurants across the Americas and Europe have used this technique to maximize the flavor and texture of their food preparations. Now, thanks to the advent of low-cost circulators, home cooks can explore the possibilities of this method, too.

The sous-vide cooking technique is especially useful for wild-game recipes because it cooks evenly all the way through, meaning the meat is cooked to the same temperature from the edge to center. When using this method, you’ll notice that your wild game is significantly more juicy and flavorful because the meat braises in its own juices, and is infused with the flavors seasoned in the bag.

In this recipe, David uses a sous-vide cooker to poach a wild-turkey breast to 145 degrees before searing it on the grill. The result is a perfectly cooked and juicy turkey breast—prepared backyard style!

Sous Vide Wild-Turkey
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Sous Vide Wild-Turkey

Cuisine: AmericanDifficulty: easy
Servings

0

servings
Total time

0

minutes

Award-winning chef and Prime Cuts Wild Game Edition host David Bancroft utilizes sous vide with a saltwater brine to pre-cook a wild-turkey breast before searing on the grill. 

Sous VIDE Wild-Turkey Brine INGREDIENTS

  • Water and salt (even amount)

  • 4 Bay leaves

  • Cayenne pepper (dash)

Sous Vide wild-turkey COOKING directions

  • Brine turkey breast for 12 hours
  • Remove turkey from brine and place in a vacuum-sealed bag
  • Set sous vide to 145 degrees Fahrenheit and cook for two hours
  • Remove turkey from sous vide and bring to room temperature
  • Drizzle olive oil over the exterior of the poached turkey breast
  • Heat grill to 450 degrees Fahrenheit, then “grill mark” both sides of turkey (approximately two minutes on each side)
  • Cut and serve with dipping sauce

Recipe Video

Once your wild-turkey breast is grilled to perfection, try serving it with “his and hers” dipping sauces featured in Michael Waddell’s jalapeno-dill turkey nuggets recipe.

Prime Cuts: Joe Thomas’ Grilled Antelope Medallions Recipe

by Joe Thomas

Grilled Antelope Medallions recipe and video

In a recent Prime Cuts Wild Game Edition episode, award-winning chef and host David Bancroft joined veteran outdoorsman Joe Thomas as the North American Super Slam winner demonstrated how to prepare his grilled antelope medallions recipe.

Joe starts by butterflying tenderloins from an antelope he harvested with a bow as one of the 29 North American animal species needed to claim Super Slam status. Joe prefers butterflied tenderloins because, once separated, he’s left with two medallions that are perfectly sized for grilling.

Joe then mixes up a simple marinade consisting of olive oil, soy sauce, and Montreal Steak Seasoning into a Ziploc bag, then marinates his antelope in it for no more than 24 hours. (He suggests turning the bag every 4-6 hours to ensure even coverage.)

Once his antelope steaks are ready to grill, Joe likes to heat his grill to a temperature of 450-500 degrees so it cooks fast. Usually the medallions are ready to come off the grill in 4-5 minutes, so be sure to turn them every 1-2 minutes.

While matching Joe Thomas’ hunting prowess might be a stretch, you can replicate his antelope medallions using the recipe below. 

Prime Cuts: Monterey Antelope Medallions from Joe Thomas
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Prime Cuts: Monterey Antelope Medallions from Joe Thomas

Servings

4-6

servings
Total time

5

minutes


North American Super Slam winner Joe Thomas’ favorite hunt-camp meal: grilled antelope medallions.

MONTEREY MARINADE Ingredients

  • 4 tbsp. Monterey steak seasoning

  • 1/2 cup olive oil

  • 1/4 cup soy sauce (mix of regular and low sodium)

  • FINGERLING ROASTED POTATOES COOKING DIRECTIONS

  • Salt

  • Pepper

  • Cook in olive oil, either in a pizza oven or on a stovetop (sprinkling in salt and pepper to taste in the process)

  • BLUE OYSTER MUSHROOMS COOKING DIRECTIONS

  • Cook in olive oil on a stovetop (sprinkling in salt and pepper to taste, then pouring beef stock gravy over the top in the process)

  • GRILLED ASPARAGUS COOKING DIRECTIONS

  • Place dry asparagus on grill, then cook until they reach your desired temperature/color preference

Directions

  • Cut approximately 2 pounds (4-6 servings) of antelope into ¾”-thick medallions that are 1 ½” x 2 ½” in average size
  • Place medallions into a Ziplock bag containing the above-mentioned marinade and allow to sit for 24 hours (turn/flip the bags a couple of times in the process)
  • Place marinated medallions on a 450- to 500-degree heated grill, and cook for 4-5 minutes (flipping them every 1-2) until most popular Medium temperature (grill/sear outside with pink inside) is reached
  • Don’t overcook

Recipe Video

For more game recipes, be sure to check out Prime Cuts: Wild Game Edition

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