I recently submitted an entry for Bon Appetit Magazine’s Blended Burger Contest. If you are trying to eat less meat and reduce your carbon footprint overall without going to extremes, you should check out the blended burger concept. This blended burger with goat cheese features onion fig jam, bacon, and roasted tomato.
Sadly I was only able to submit one recipe and I did not submit the recipe for this blended burger with onion fig jam recipe.
But I hope that you enjoy this recipe in all its California glory. You have sweetness from the fig onion jam, the acidity from the roasted tomato, the tang from goat cheese, the bitterness of the arugula, and the saltiness from the bacon.
All in all, this burger with goat cheese and fig onion jam is a great gourmet burger for entertaining or an end of the week meal.
For the blended burger recipe that I submitted to Bon Appetit’s Blended Burger Contest, check out my Blended Burger with Creamy Romesco Sauce.
What is a blended burger?
A burger that is partly made of ground meat, but also partly made of vegetables/other plant-based ingredients. In the case of Bon Appetit’s competition, the beef was blended with ground mushrooms. I used crimini mushrooms because they have a rich flavor compared with button mushrooms.
What Kind of Ground Beef Should I Buy?
The fattier the ground beef, the more juicy and tender it is. 80% lean beef is even fattier and juicier, but 85% lean ground beef works well and is much healthier.
How do I season my burger patty?
It depends on personal taste as well as the other burger toppings you will be using. If you are going to be using salty toppings (blue cheese, bacon, pancetta, pickles), then I would just season the surface of the burger patties. But if you plan on using relatively sweet or acidic toppings (onion jam, ketchup, roasted bell pepper), seasoning the inside of your burger patty should be fine as well. Test it out and see which method you prefer.
What toppings should I put on my burger?
- California style: crispy bacon, onion jam, and fresh figs, arugula
- Classic style: cheddar cheese or American cheese, thousand island dressing, raw onion, fresh tomato, and fresh lettuce
- Tex-Mex style: chipotle mayo/aioli, roasted poblano peppers, pepperjack cheese
- Asian style: miso mayo sauce, cabbage slaw with sesame ginger dressing, fried egg
How to make onion jam?
Time needed: 20 minutes.
How to make a delicious onion jam
- Thinly slice 1 onion
- Heat a pan. Once pan is hot, reduce heat to medium low and put in 2 tbsp of oil.
- Stir onions around so that they are evenly coated in oil.
- Cover with a lid, and cook on medium low for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.
- Once onions are golden brown and softened, add sweet element (honey, sugar, dried figs).
- Add sherry wine and a splash of water and cook down 3-5 minutes. Finish with crispy bacon if desired.
How do I form the perfect burger patty?
Do not smash or press your burgers as they cook. That will release all the juices and result in a dry patty.
For burger patties, always make the patty a bit larger than your bun. Burger patties shrink when they are cooked, and if yours is too small it throws off the ratio of your cheeseburger.
When shaping the burger patty, make slight dent in the middle. Burgers plump up in the middle as they cook, so making a dent toward the middle will allow it to be flat/even when cooked.
How do I cook my burgers?
I have a tutorial on searing steak that covers the basics of meat searing. The basic principles are simple:
- Hot oil
- Hot pan
- Room temperature meat
- Cast iron skillet
- Do not move the meat around once it is in the pan!
- Flip only once
- The thicker the burger, the more time it needs to cook
Price Comparison
What did I spend to make this burger with goat cheese? Brioche buns ($2), ground beef ($2), crimini mushrooms ($1), arugula ($.50), tomato ($1), onion ($.50), dried figs ($.50), bacon ($.75), goat cheese ($1)
Restaurant ($10-13) vs. Home-made ($4.63)
Gastropubs sell fancy burgers that are about 3x the price of how much it would cost you to make a similar dish at home. And the best thing about making it at home is you get to choose your own toppings without having to pay an extra $1 or $2 for bacon or cheese.
Blended Burger with Goat Cheese and Onion Fig Jam
Ingredients
Roasted Tomato
- 1 beefsteak tomato 1/4 inch slices
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1/4 tsp salt
Fig Onion Jam
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 sweet onion thinly sliced
- 1/2 c dried golden figs
- 2 tsp sherry wine
- 2 tbsp water
Burger Patty
- 4 cremini mushrooms minced
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1/2 lb 85% lean ground beef
Toppings & Buns
- 4 tbsp chevre goat cheese
- 1 handful arugula
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 2 brioche buns
Instructions
- Preheat oven to broil setting. Meanwhile, slice tomatoes and place onto a baking sheet. Season with olive oil and salt. Place in the oven 6 inches from broiler when oven has pre-heated. Broil for 15-20 minutes or until the top of the tomatoes have a golden brown crust.
- While tomatoes are broiling, prepare onion fig jam. Thinly slice a sweet onion. Remove stems from dried figs and roughly dice.
- Heat a skillet on high until it just begins to smoke. Then turn the temperature to medium low. Drizzle olive oil in the pan and add onions. Move them around the oil. Cook onions on medium low for 10-15 minutes with the lid on, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.
- When onions are softened and golden brown, add in diced figs, sherry wine, water, and salt. Allow to simmer another 5 minutes until figs have softened. Then remove from heat and set aside.
- Take broiled tomatoes out of the oven and set aside.
- Heat a skillet on high until it just begins to smoke. Turn the heat to medium and fry 4 slices of bacon. Fry for 3 minutes each side, flipping frequently to allow fat to render. Remove from pan when bacon is golden brown. Set aside to drain on paper towels.
- Prepare burger patty. Use a food processor to pulse crimini mushrooms until they are finely minced. Add minced mushrooms to ground beef. Mix with half the amount of salt and pepper, leaving the other half of salt and pepper for seasoning the surfaces of the burger patties.
- Form 2 burger patties. Make them slightly bigger than your burger buns, as burger patties shrink during cooking. Make burger patties approximately 3/4 inch thick on the edge, with the center slightly thinner than the edges. This will allow space for the center to rise during cooking.
- Heat an iron skillet on high until it just begins to smoke. Turn the heat to medium and drizzle in olive oil. Season 1 side of the two burger patties with salt and pepper. Place the seasoned side down on the pan first.
- While the burger patties are sizzling, season the side that is facing up with the remainder of the salt and pepper. Cook burgers 3 minutes on each side, flipping only once. This should make your burger medium rare.
- When burger patties are done, set aside.
- Dress arugula with lemon juice.
- Assemble the burgers. For each burger, spread 2 tbsp of the onion fig jam onto the bottom bun. Then place the burger patty on top of the fig jam. Place 2 slices of roasted tomato on top of the burger patty, followed by 2 slices of bacon, crumbled chevre, and arugula salad. Finally place the top bun and enjoy!
Tag me on instagram @jennskitchendiary to share your version of a gourmet burger!
