Sous Vide Burgers With Cheddar and Bacon

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Calling all burger aficionados, this is the twist your palate has been yearning for! Allow me to usher you into the world of the sous vide method, a culinary revelation that promises a perfectly cooked burger, each and every time. Imagine never having to second-guess your grilling skills, as water bath cooking grants you unequaled temperature precision. Adorn these marvels with sharp cheddar and crispy bacon, and you've mastered an irresistible classic.

Prime Ingredients

Every sous vide burger begins with the finest fresh ground chuck—an impeccable symphony of lean meat enriched with just the right amount of fat, ensuring a juicy patty with every bite. During the precise sous vide cooking, its fat content preserves moisture and later imparts a beautiful sear.

Pairing these with classic American cheese for that iconic melt, and the crunch of thick-cut bacon takes the sensory experience up a notch. Keeping the seasonings simple with just kosher salt and black pepper lets the meat's natural flavors shine, while ghee or clarified butter lends its aromatic richness to the final sear. For all your ingredient needs, remember the benefits of using a vacuum sealer to maintain freshness marvelously.

Ingredient	Amount	Notes
Ground Chuck (80/20)	1 lb	Fat for flavor
American Cheese	4 slices	Perfect melt
Thick-cut Bacon	4 slices	Cook to crispy
Kosher Salt & Black Pepper	To taste	Essential seasoning
Ghee/Clarified Butter	2 tbsp	High heat searing
Burger Buns	4	Toast for texture

The Recipe Deconstructed

The journey to the summit of sous vide burger mastery is one of precision—an exact temperature ensures each mouthful is tantalizingly juicy. The consistent heat of the water bath cooks the patties uniformly, locking in flavor and moisture. This technique is modern alchemy at its finest, bringing forward a texture and uniformity only matched by the professional kitchens.

Behold the marriage of sous vide precision with the soul of a classic burger. The 80/20 ground beef blend encapsulates the essence of juiciness, while the sear introduces the perfect textural contrast.

Here's the magic unwrapped: Form ground beef into 1-inch thick, 8 oz patties, season well, then vacuum seal. Bathe these treasures at 140°F (60°C) for 90 divine minutes. Remove, pat dry, and sear in hot ghee or bacon grease for a minute on each tantalizing side, allowing the cheddar to join the ensemble in the last moments. Crown your creation with bacon, fresh tomatoes, and your chosen accoutrements.

Quick tip—start with chilled meat to keep your fat intact, and sear in an area with good ventilation.

Let those burgers take a brief rest post-sear before bringing it all together, giving your buns a gentle toast and your toppings a chance to relax to room temp.

Pro Tips and Techniques

The path to sous vide perfection is paved with intention and attention to detail. Choosing top-tier ground beef, particularly the 80/20 mix, is the cornerstone of a succulent creation. But why stop there? I suggest a modest dash of Worcestershire sauce to elevate the umami hues of the meat.

For those seeking that impeccable medium-rare, set your culinary time machine to 133°F—it's the sweet spot. And here's your secret weapon: while your patties swim in their warm bath, prep your searing station. Keep that cast-iron skillet on standby, blazing with butter or bacon fat, ready to envelop your burgers in a delectable crust.

Remember, give your flavorful discs a moment to rest after sear—a crucial step in retaining their sumptuous juices. To fully appreciate the art of sous vide, heed the guidance on temperature control for that precise doneness.

A Nod to History

Let's time-travel to when innovative French chefs like Georges Pralus and Bruno Gousset set the stage for today's sous vide cooking. Though it may seem modern, this culinary technique has surprisingly deep roots that trace back to those momentous kitchen experiments with vacuum-sealed bag cooking.

The French elegantly call it "sous vide," or "under vacuum," and it's transformed how we approach food. By cooking in precisely regulated water environments, we've conquered the inconsistent dilemma of burgers past; gone are the days of charred exteriors clashing with undercooked centers!

Now, home gourmets are bringing restaurant-caliber flair right to their dinner tables. By consistently hitting that 133°F mark, you too can craft that flawless medium-rare burger with ease. And with sous vide's flavor-infusing mastery, when cheddar and bacon come into play, the results are simply transcendent.

The Final Verdict

These sous vide burgers with cheddar and bacon are nothing short of a gustatory revolution. Effortlessly simple, the process might require patience, but it's astoundingly foolproof. Once tasted, its symphony of smoky crunches and molten cheese will linger on, convincing even the most curious of neighbors that there is mastery at play. For those in pursuit of that precise, consistently exquisite medium-rare, this method is your culinary grail.

The article "Sous Vide Burgers With Cheddar and Bacon" first appeared on Vacuum Sealer Center.

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