I was inspired by Karen’s lamb burger the other day and knew it was time to start making burgers again.

If you live in the Pacific Northwest, you may be familiar with Skillet Street Food, an Airstream bus that visits different parking lots where you can line up for their delicious burgers and fries.

They make bacon jam, a melt-in-your-mouth savory mixture of carmelized onions and bacon. If you don’t have access to their bacon jam, sold in specialty super markets, you can make your own.

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon oregano powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon mustard powder
• 1 teapsoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 small spring onion, chopped
• 1 lb ground meat
• 1 tablespoon olive oil (for cooking in the pan)
• 4 tablespoons of bacon jam (1 per burger or more to taste)

Directions:

1. Put a pan over medium heat and add the olive oil (or butter or whatever you prefer)
2. Put the ground meat in a bowl and mix with onions and tomato paste
3. While mixing, sprinkle in the spices and sugar
4. Form into 4 medium or 2 big patties
5. Cook for several minutes or until browned and the insides are not scary pink
6. Serve on buns or rolls and spread with bacon jam

I love the complex flavor – the spices and tomato pair well with the bacony richness, the sweetness of carmelized onions and the slightly acidic flavor of vinegar. Next time I would make it with fried potato slices and garnish it with a little argula or spinach.

Salut!