Our Recipes

Adapted from West Coast Prime Meats Cooks © 2015

Bacon Blue Topping

Makes Eight Patties

Ingredients

• One pound sliced bacon
• Four tablespoons corn syrup
• Two tablespoons red wine vinegar
• Pinch of cracked pepper
• Three-quarters-cup crumbled blue cheese

Instructions

1. Dice the raw bacon into small pieces.
2. In a small saucepot over medium low heat, cook the diced bacon until crispy. Stir often to ensure that the bacon cooks evenly. 
3. Once the bacon is crisp, strain the bacon and reserve the rendered fat.*
4. In the same saucepot, add the crisp bacon, corn syrup, red wine vinegar, and black pepper and cook on medium heat until the corn syrup mixture thickens slightly and adheres to the bacon. Transfer the hot candied bacon to a parchment-paper-lined cookie sheet pan and let chill in the refrigerator until completely cooled, at least 30 minutes.
5. Once the bacon mixture is completely cooled, place in a bowl and combine with the crumbled blue cheese. 
6. Portion into 2-ounce patties that are the same diameter as the burger patties.
7. Keep in the refrigerator until ready to use.

*Refrigerated, bacon fat lasts for months. Bacon fat is great to use in salad dressings.

Garlic Aioli

Ingredients

• Third-cup (3 ounces) pasteurized egg yolks* 
• One anchovy filet, chopped 
• One and one-half tablespoons garlic, peeled and minced  
• One and one-half tablespoons garlic, chopped and roasted 
• Four tablespoons red wine vinegar 
• Two teaspoons Dijon mustard    
• One tablespoon molasses 
• One and one-quarter-cups canola oil
•  Warm water (if needed)
• Half-teaspoon kosher salt 
• Pinch of white pepper 
• One cup prepared mayonnaise 
• Two tablespoons flat leaf parsley, chopped

*Pasteurized egg yolks are sold by the pint carton at most markets.

Instructions

1. In a food processor, purée the egg yolks, anchovy, minced garlic, roasted garlic, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard and molasses until smooth. 
2. With the processor on low, slowly add the canola oil to incorporate with the egg yolk mixture. While adding the oil, the egg yolk mixture will continue to thicken. If it gets to the point that you see that the oil is no longer incorporating, add a tablespoon of warm water at a time until the mixture is the same consistency as mayonnaise. 
3. Transfer the aioli to a bowl. Stir the kosher salt, white pepper, mayonnaise, and chopped parsley into the aioli and mix until everything is incorporated. (See chef’s note.)
4. Adjust seasoning. Refrigerate in a covered container until needed.
5. The aioli will last at least five days, so it can be enjoyed on other sandwiches or even as a dipping sauce for fries.

Frizzled Shallots

Ingredients

• Four large shallots
• Two ounces buttermilk
• One cup all-purpose flour
• Half-cup corn starch
• One teaspoon kosher salt
• Pinch of white pepper
• Three cups canola oil

Instructions

1. Slice the shallots very thin on a mandolin or with a knife. The benefit of using a mandolin is that the slices will be consistent.
2. In a bowl, toss the shallots in the buttermilk and let sit for five minutes.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, salt and pepper. 
4. Remove shallots from bowl and squeeze out any excess buttermilk. Transfer to the flour/corn starch mixture. 
5. Toss the shallots in the flour/corn starch mixture making sure that each shallot ring is separated. There should be a small coating of flour with no clumps.
6. Heat the canola oil in a large saucepot over medium-high flame until a thermometer reads 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  
7. Shake off any excess flour from the shallots before adding to the hot oil. (A fine-mesh sieve will help here, place the sieve over a bowl, add the shallots and shake back and forth.)
8. Have a cookie sheet lined with paper towels ready when you remove the shallots from the hot oil to absorb excess oil.
9. Carefully add the shallots into the hot oil to avoid splashing. Cook until the shallots are golden brown and crispy, about 30 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to the paper towel-lined sheet pan.
10. Let cool and store at room temperature.

Assembly

Ingredients

• Four 8-ounce burger patties*
• Kosher salt 
• Cracked black pepper
• Four burger buns**
• Four 2-ounce Bacon Blue Patties (see recipe)
• Half-cup Garlic Aioli (see recipe)
• Four spears Romaine lettuce
• Two large tomatoes, cut in 12 slices
• Frizzled Shallots (see recipe)

*We use an Angus grind at Simmzy’s. Look for an 80/20 lean/fat blend at the market.
**For the burger bun, please choose a brioche-style or similar dense bun, do not use a lighter bread like a potato roll.

Instructions

1. Preheat the grill.
2. Season the patties with kosher salt and cracked black pepper on both sides. Place on grill. 
3. Cook for about two minutes and rotate the burgers 90° to get a crosshatch mark on the patties. Cook burgers for another two minutes.
4. While the burgers are cooking, cut the buns in half lengthwise. Place the buns cut sides down on the grill about 30 to 60 seconds depending on the temperature of your grill. You want grill marks and a light toast. Remove from heat.
5. Put one tablespoon of aioli on each side of the buns.
6. Add one romaine spear and three tomato slices to the bottom side of each bun.
7. Flip to the other side. Continue cooking burgers for another two minutes.
8. Rotate burgers 90 degrees as in step 3 and cook for two more minutes.  Add the bacon blue patty on top of each burger patty.  Cook for two additional minutes.
9. Remove the burgers from the heat and let sit for a minute or two.
10. Place the cooked burgers on top of the bottom bun with the lettuce and tomato.
11. Place enough frizzled shallots to cover the burger patties.
12. Finish the burger with the topside of the bun.

Copyright © 2015 by Amy and Craig Nickoloff and West Coast Prime Meats
Recipes reprinted with permission of the owners.
Photos courtesy of Simms Restaurants