David's copycat recipe of Hardee's Big Twin Double Cheeseburger. Grilled beef patties nestled on a sesame seed bun with cheese, special sauce and lettuce.
Prepare the Special Sauce (Thousand Island Dressing)
1cupmayonnaise
¼cupyellow onionminced
3tablespoonsketchup
3tablespoonssweet pickle relish
1tablespoonfresh lemon juice
1teaspoonsweet paprika
Kosher saltto taste
Instructions
Prepare The Special Sauce
Prepare the Special Sauce 12 to 24 Hours prior to grilling the burgers, by combing all of the dressing ingredients in a small mixing bowl using a whisk. Mix well! Transfer to a jar or airtight container with a lid. Store in the refrigerator until needed.
Prepare the grill with a hot fire for direct grilling and preheat to 400 degrees F. Clean the grate as needed with a grill brush making sure you start with a clean grate.
Meanwhile rinse, drain and shred the lettuce; refrigerate to keep crisp until needed.
Form the Beef Patties:
In a large bowl, pull the meat apart into small chunks, season with salt and pepper, to taste and toss gently with fingers spread apart until loosely mixed. Using wet hands, form 8 equal ¼ pound beef patties gently pressing them to be about ¼ to ½ inch thick. Using your thumb gently press a dimple into the center of each patty. (See Notes)
Grill The Beef Patties
When the grill is ready, lightly oil the clean grill grate and place the patties on the grate. Allow a few flames to lick the meat undisturbed and then cover the grill with the lid. Grill the burgers until the underside is semi-charred and brown; about 3 to 4 minutes. Use a spatula to flip the burgers. Grill until the other side is browned; an additional 3 to 4 minutes for medium-rare.
Insert an instant-read thermometer horizontally into the center of the burger. At medium-rare, the thermometer should register 130 to 135 degrees F and the burger should have will have a deep pink color. If the burgers are not ready, cover the grill, let them cook for another minute and test again. If you like your burgers cooked medium you're looking for a temp of 145 degrees F and are looking for to reach 155 degrees F for well done.
During the last 30 seconds to one minute of cooking, place a slice of American cheese on top of each patty. While the cheese is melting, toast the buns by splitting them and placing them on the grate cut side down until light golden brown; about 10 to 15 seconds.
Remove the buns and take the burgers off the grill to rest; about 3 to 5 minutes (See Notes).
Serve The Big Twin Double Cheeseburgers
Generously spread some of the special sauce on each half of the toasted buns. Top the bottom with some of the shredded lettuce, then add two cheese melted patties and top with a little more shredded lettuce before adding the top bun.
There is nothing left to do, but to enjoy every delicious bite!
Notes
The Special Sauce: For best flavor, make the Thousand Island dressing ahead and wait 24 hours. This gives the onions time to soften up and the flavors will meld and become richer. For a sweeter tangier dressing, add a little more pickle relish, if desired.Store in unused dressing in an airtight container for up to a week.The Double Beef Patties: Fat equals juiciness and flavor! This is why the lean-to-fat ratio in ground beef is critical. If you want a good burger, 80/20 is definitely the way to go.Don’t overwork the meat while forming the perfect patties. The more you handle the meat, the tougher your burger will be. Make the burger patties with a dimple in the center. The burgers will shrink and pull in as they cook. The dimple will even out as the burgers cook giving the burger a nice uniform shape.Remember, it’s important not to overwork the meat while forming the perfect patties. The more you handle the meat, the tougher your burger will be. Done Temperatures For Hamburgers:
Rare burgers (120 to 130°F)
Medium-rare burgers (130 to 135°F)
Medium burgers (135 to 145°F)
Well-done burgers (160°F)
For food safety, the USDA recommends a minimum done temperature of a pre-ground hamburger is 160 degrees F. Use the freshest ground meat possible or grind your own (Learn more HERE).Allowing the burgers to rest, allows the meat to finish cooking and allows the juices within redistribute throughout the patty for maximum juiciness. 5 to 10 minutes will make a difference.The Buns:When toasting the buns on the grill, make sure you keep a close eye on them and don't let them get too brown or it will affect the overall texture of the soft bun.will take on a life of its own and defeat the purpose of starting with a soft bun.
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