German Burgers w/ Beer Onions

Hey all!  It's been a while since I've blogged but I was really missing it so I'm back with this delicious burger!  

Let me start by saying that my husband LOVES burgers -- I really like them but I could take it or leave it -- in my quest to eat healthy, they sometimes just don't fit into my diet.  But lately we have been taking our burgers to the next level by grinding our own meat.  If you haven't done this yet, you simply MUST!  Grinding your own meat allows you to pick and choose which types of beef you'd like, how lean you like it and you can go ahead and grind in anything with the meat such as onion or...BACON {a personal fav of husband}.  Plus when you grind your own meat, you get this fresh and pure flavor that just cannot be achieved using pre-ground packaged meat from the store.  

We have been testing different combinations of meat for our burgers and last night we used a 50/50 mix of short rib and sirloin.  When choosing a combination, make sure to pick one meat that has a bit of marbling to it {fat} so that you don't end up with dry burgers.  If your meat doesn't have a lot of fat {like if you are grinding  pork loin or chicken} go ahead and grind in a couple strips of bacon.  

So this particular burger was delicious for a few reasons: 1. fresh ground beef, 2. bacon-cheddar cheese, 3. pretzel buns, 4. beer caramelized onions.  My mouth just filled up with saliva reliving this....  Here comes the recipe!

German Burgers w/ Beer Onions (makes 2 gluttonous burgers w/ double patties or 4 burgers for normal human beings)

For Burger Patties:

1/2 lb beef short rib meat, cubed
1/2 lb beef sirloin, cubed
salt and pepper

For Onions:

1 medium sized onion, sliced
olive oil
salt and pepper
dash of worcestershire sauce
1/4 c. of beer 

Assembly and toppings:

2 or 4 pretzel buns {found mine at Trader Joe's}
butter
Shaved Bacon-Cheddar cheese {also Trader Joe's}
lettuce
pickle
deli mustard

1.  Start with the onions by heating up some olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add your onions and season with salt and pepper, cook, stirring often, until they begin to caramelize {about 7 to 10 minutes}.  Add worcestershire sauce and beer and stir to combine.  Cook until the liquid is reduced, about 5 more minutes.  Set aside.

2.  Grind your meat!  I used the meat grinder attachment on my Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer -- so happy that I can get EVEN MORE use out of this kitchen appliance.  Season meat with salt and pepper and form into 4 thin patties.  Preheat a cast iron skillet or griddle over medium high heat.  Add a little olive oil to the pan then throw on your burgers.  Cook for about 5 minutes {let them get a nice crust}.  Flip burgers, top with cheese and cover with a lid so the cheese melts.  Remove burger patties to a plate.

3.  Butter those pretzel buns and give them a quick toast on your skillet or griddle now get ready to assemble the burgers: bottom bun, mustard, lettuce, patties {double them if you are really splurging like we did}, beer onions, pickles, top of bun!  Now there's nothing left to do but eat...