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Smoked Burgers with Coffee Barbecue Sauce

Serves 4

Cuisine: American

Category: Burgers, Sandwiches & Salads

Smoking a burger is a revelation: Why didn’t we try this sooner?! Combined with cheese, quick-pickled onions and coffee barbecue sauce, this ground beef burger has a crave-worthy explosion of flavor.

Prep Time

15 mins

Other Time

1 hr

Cook Time

15 mins

Total Time

1 hr 30 mins

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds Certified Angus Beef^® ground beef, 80% lean
3 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 large red onion, very thinly sliced
8 ounces (3/4 cup plus 1/4 cup) cider vinegar, divided
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons brown sugar, divided
1 tablespoon whole peppercorns
1 cup water
1 tablespoon butter
1 small yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup brewed dark roast coffee
1/2 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons yellow mustard
2 teaspoons paprika
4 slices sharp cheddar cheese
4 hamburger buns

Instructions:

Form 4 (6-ounce) hamburger patties, season with 1-teaspoon salt and 1/2-teaspoon pepper. Refrigerate until ready to smoke.
Place sliced onion in a heat proof bowl. In a small saucepan add 3/4-cup cider vinegar, 2- tablespoons brown sugar, 2-teaspoons salt, peppercorns and 1-cup of water. Bring to a boil, stirring until salt and sugar dissolve. Pour solution over sliced onion and cover with plastic wrap so that onions are well submerged. Allow to steep and pickle while preparing burgers and sauce (at least 1 hour).
Preheat smoker with your favorite wood (we like hickory and/or applewood) to 275°F. Smoke patties 45 minutes to 1 hour or until they reach 155°F internal temperature.
While patties smoke prepare sauce by heating 1-tablespoon butter over medium heat and adding diced onion, garlic and 1/2-teaspoon salt. Saute until onions are soft and translucent, 4 to 5 minutes. Pour in coffee, 1/4-cup cider vinegar, 1/4-cup brown sugar, ketchup, mustard and paprika; bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Once reduced, puree in a blender or with an immersion blender and strain. Yields about 1 1/4-cups.
Top burgers with cheese and close smoker just to melt cheese. Build burgers: spread barbecue sauce on the bottom bun, top with cheeseburger patty, pickled onions and top bun.