Hamburgers Wrapped in Bacon

For many, a juicy hamburger on some crusty warm bread, slathered with mayonnaise and chili sauce, is a perennial favorite meal from the grill. Prepared my way, it will also be a
very good choice if you’ve stopped eating unnecessary carbohydrates and breads made
from cereals.

Here, the hamburger bread is baked with almond meal, the chili sauce is entirely sugarfree,
and the mayonnaise is homemade; this will make it a dish you can enjoy often.

Grilled Hamburgers with Classic Side Dishes
• 1 lb. 5 oz. (600 g) ground chuck with high fat content (preferably freshly ground)
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 4 slices bacon or hot-smoked pork belly
• 2 tablespoons mild-flavored olive oil for brushing

Crumble the ground meat into small pieces in a bowl and mix it well with the egg, salt,
pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. Let the mixture rest for half an hour in the refrigerator;
this will allow it to hold together better while grilling.

Dip your fingers in cold water, and shape the ground meat into four, somewhat thick
patties. Wrap the slices of bacon all around the edge of each patty and fasten with a
toothpick. Flatten the burger slightly with your hand.

Brush the burgers generously with oil on both sides. Brush some oil onto the hot grate of
the grill, too. Use a grill basket if you have one—it’ll make grilling the burgers easier.

Place the burgers on the grill and cook for 3 minutes on each side over direct heat. Then
place them over indirect heat, or lower the temperature on a gas grill. Let them cook for 2
more minutes on each side.

If you’re unsure if the hamburgers are cooked through, use a thermometer; it will register
136ºF (58ºC) when the hamburgers are cooked medium. If you want them well done wait,
until the thermometer reads 149ºF (65ºC).

Taste-test a hamburger grilled to medium. They are far juicier than the ones that have
been grilled longer.

Serve the hamburgers in freshly toasted buns with crisp lettuce and tomato. Grilled onion
slices are good too, unless you prefer raw onion rings.

For an even more flavorful burger, melt a slice of cheddar over the patties toward the end
of grilling the meat.

Mayonnaise, chili sauce, and salted cucumbers make great sides (recipes for the sauces on
pages 41 and 70, respectively). Coleslaw is also very tasty.

Hamburger Buns
Preheat the oven to 350ºF (175ºC). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• 3 eggs
• 6¾ fl. oz. (200 ml) almond flour
• 3 tablespoons unflavored, whole psyllium husk*
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup (50 ml) cold water
• sesame seeds, for garnish

*Unflavored whole psyllium husk can be found at health food stores or online at
netrition.com or iHerb.com.

Beat the eggs thoroughly with a handheld electric mixer. Stir together all the dry
ingredients, except for the sesame seeds, in a bowl. Mix the water with the egg batter, and
then add in the dry ingredients. Mix well.

Leave the batter to rise for 5 minutes. Use two wet spoons to form four round bun shapes
on the prepared baking sheet. Wet your hands and shape them evenly. Flatten them to give
them the authentic appearance of hamburger buns. Sprinkle them generously with sesame
seeds.

Bake at 350ºF (175ºC) for 20 minutes. Let cool on a baking rack. Cut the buns in half and
grill the cut surfaces just before serving.

Article Source: Low Carb High Fat Barbecue by Birgitta Hoglund