Thanks for checking out this Ballistic BBQ recipe and video. In this episode, backyard grilling guru and Ballistic BBQ host Greg Mrvich will show you how to cook this June Bug burger bacon double cheeseburger. Mrvich named this burger “June Bug” because his home state of California is also home to insects bearing this name. These little critters are metallic looking, and, for whatever reason, love to eat figs.
When filming this video in Northern California, Mrvich’s neighbor provided a jar of homemade fig jam. This promptly triggered the light bulb to go off in his head to create a burger with the jam. But, of course, Mrvich then put his twist on it—making it with a bacon-fig jam.
To make the spread, mix bacon, onion, Fresno pepper, and fig jam in a skillet. (You can buy fig jam at a supermarket or Mediterranean market.) For the actual burger, you’ll need basic, toasted sesame seed buns. For the patties, use good-quality, 80/20 ground chuck with a little kosher salt. Cook the burgers to medium inside, then add aged white cheddar to one patty and American cheese to the other. Mrvich suggests choosing pasteurized American cheese over individually wrapped cheeses. To build your June Bug burger, start by adding arugula to the bottom bun, stack the American cheeseburger, then the cheddar burger. Then, add the bacon-fig jam and top bun. Enjoy!
Ballistic BBQ’s June Bug Burger
Cuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy4
servings30
minutesChoose 80/20 ground chuck for these burgers. Check out the video to watch Mrvich in action.
Ingredients
2 pounds ground chuck, each patty should weigh about 1/4 pound
Bacon-fig sauce (enough for 8 burgers)
4 slices bacon, chopped
1/2 white onion chopped
1/2 teaspoon minced Fresno (or ripe jalapeno) pepper
3/4 cup fig jam
Arugula
Directions
- Render down bacon in a hot skillet, then add chopped onion. Add chopped pepper and continue to cook. Once the onion starts looking translucent, add jam and stir. Place on a lower heat and allow sauce to simmer. In the meantime, toast hamburger buns on the grill.
- Season patties with a little kosher salt and place on the grate, over direct heat. Watch the sides of the patties as they cook, and flip once there is a color change halfway up the sides.
- After the flip, place one slice of aged white cheddar on one patty and American on the other. By the time the cheese melts, the burgers are done.
- Building the burger. Place a little arugula down on the bottom bun. Place the patty with the American cheese on top of the arugula. Patty with white cheddar on top of American cheese. Top with warm bacon-fig sauce. Crown with the top bun.
Enjoy!
