Beef, Bacon and Egg Burgers

I’ve been making burgers lately as I’ve been weeding out recipes from the pile of torn-out magazine pages in my kitchen. Real Simple published a half-dozen burger recipes in June 2013, and as I looked them over, I decided I had to make this one now. The original ingredients called for English muffins as buns, but we found those to be ill-advised, as they crumbled apart under the weight of the contents of the burgers. I’d recommend regular buns, so that’s what I’m writing below. Also, I’d make the beef patties a bit wider and flatter next time. An egg on a burger is always a bit decadent, and the tomato is a good addition, but what really made this burger for me was the bacon mixed into the beef patty. In fact, I’m considering making this my standard burger from now on! Note that it’s easier to chop the bacon if you put it in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes beforehand. I made these on the stovetop instead of the grill.

2 tsp. vegetable oil, plus more for the grate of the grill
1 ¼ lbs. ground beef chuck
4 slices bacon, chopped
kosher salt and black pepper
4 burger buns
4 large eggs
1 large tomato, sliced

Heat grill to medium-high. Once it is hot, clean the grill grate with a wire brush. Just before grilling, oil the grill grate.

Gently mix together the beef, bacon, and ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper with your hands in a medium bowl until just combined. Form the beef mixture into four ¾-inch-thick patties. Use your fingers to make a shallow well in the top of each patty (this will prevent overplumping during cooking).

Grill the burgers until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center registers 160 ° F. Grill the buns, split-side down, until toasted, 10 to 20 seconds.

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet on the stovetop over medium heat. Crack the eggs into the skillet and cook, covered, for 2 to 3 minutes for slightly runny yolks (I used pasteurized egg for this). Season with ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper.

Stack the tomato, burgers, and eggs between the buns and enjoy.