French Bistro Burgers

Who doesn't love a perfect burger?  I believe that the most important part of a burger is the bun and I'm constantly on the search for the perfect hamburger bun.  Honestly, I've thought of baking them myself but let's not kid ourselves....I might be getting a little better in the baking department but when it comes to baking bread...that is a completely different beast.  No.  So on I went looking for an airy bun that is burger-worthy. The grocery stores  just don't have the good stuff....I was about to start checking small bakeries when I hit the jackpot.  My husband and I were eating lunch at Fuddruckers' and I looked up and realized, "OMG, they sell their buns!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"  So there you have it.  Perfect burger buns for your home grilling!  And at 3 bucks for a half-dozen, you're getting a better deal than most grocery stores!  I am one happy girl!  

The next step in a great burger is to use a grill press like this one.  And I know the comments will flow out like, "oh, these press all those delicious juices out of the burger and you end up with a dried out hockey puck". Not so.  We used our grill press last night and trust me on this -- we still had juicy burgers and we also had burgers that fit on our buns and didn't shrink up on the grill -- I hate that!

Ok so here's the deal with this burger -- it's pretty much the best burger we've ever made in this house -- and we've made a lot of burgers.  I actually attribute most of its deliciousness to the bun but hey I'll throw myself a bone on the toppings as they were amazing.  If you're not a fan of brie then go ahead and use any cheese you prefer -- but the burger will no longer be "French". Sorry.   Bon Appetit!

French Bistro Burgers (makes 4)

4 hamburger buns, split
4 tbsp butter
1 1/2 lbs ground sirloin
1 large onion thinly sliced
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
8 slices bacon, cooked
1 small wheel of brie, sliced 
4 lettuce leaves

1.  Form patties by seasoning sirloin with salt and pepper and dividing the beef into 4 patties.  Set aside until ready to grill.
2.  Caramelize onions:  In a large pan over low heat, add a drizzle of olive oil and add onions, salt and pepper to taste.  Cook onions over low heat for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are cooked through and caramelized.  Set aside.
3.  Grill burgers until desired done-ness (medium-well is preferred).  Butter each hamburger bun and place on grill until toasted.
4.  Assemble burgers:  place lettuce leaf on bottom half of bun.  Top with burger, sliced brie, bacon and onions.  Top with bun and take it to the mouth!