John T. Edge, Director of the Southern Foodways Alliance in Oxford, MS, (www.southernfoodways.com). This “recipe” is in response to a question about how he makes burgers at home for himself. He is also the author of Hamburger & Fries: An American Story. For this burger, he recommends Allan Benton’s bacon, Madisonville, TN (www.bentonshams.com)* and Burger House seasoning from Burger House in Dallas, TX (www.burgerhouse.com)* both available on the Internet. I recommend you try the recipe with your favorite brand of bacon and any seasoned salt, with a little cumin added to it.
Chop up 1 slice of *Allan Benton's bacon per burger (which is the best bacon there is, according to Edge) into bits the size of your fingernail, fry it in a skillet to about half done, let it cool, and mix it in with the ground chuck. Sprinkle with black pepper and *Burger House seasoning (a cumin-heavy concoction of seasoned salt, according to Edge). Grill to medium.
