prep time: 10 minutes
•
cook time: 15 minutes
•
yield: 4 servings
prep time: 10 minutes
•
cook time: 15 minutes
•
yield: 4 servings
5 slices bacon, diced
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Paleo fat, such as lard, tallow, or coconut oil
1⅔ pounds mushrooms, sliced
⅔ cup thinly sliced onions
2 teaspoons fine sea salt, divided
1¼ heaping teaspoons fresh ground black pepper, divided
1⅓ pounds 80% lean ground beef
8 large lettuce leaves, for “buns”
Cherry tomatoes, cut in half, for garnish
special sauce:
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, homemade ( see here ) or store-bought (or Egg-Free Keto Mayo, see here , for egg-free)
¼ cup tomato sauce
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons Swerve confectioners’-style sweetener or equivalent amount of liquid or powdered sweetener ( see here )
1½ scant teaspoons coconut vinegar or apple cider vinegar
½ rounded teaspoon fine sea salt
½ rounded teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat and sauté the bacon until crispy, about 3 minutes. Add the Paleo fat to the pan, along with the mushrooms and onions, and sauté until the mushrooms are cooked through, about 4 minutes. Season with ¾ teaspoon of the salt and ½ teaspoon of the pepper. Using a slotted spoon, remove the bacon, mushrooms, and onions from the pan and set aside. Leave the fat in the pan.
2. Using your hands, form the meat into four ¾-inch-thick patties. Season the outsides of the patties with the remaining salt and pepper. Fry the burgers in the skillet over medium-high heat on both sides until cooked to your desired doneness (see the chart below).
3. Meanwhile, make the sauce: Place all the ingredients in an 8-ounce jar with a lid. Cover and shake vigorously to combine.
4. To serve, place a burger on a lettuce leaf, then top it with one-fourth of the fried bacon, mushroom, and onion mixture, followed by 2 tablespoons of the sauce and another lettuce leaf (for a top “bun”). Repeat with the remaining burgers and toppings, and garnish each plate with cherry tomatoes.
note: This is one of the recipes featured in week 3 of the 30-day meal plan. To help curb your sweet tooth during the cleanse, I suggest you reduce the amount of sweetener in the Special Sauce to 2 teaspoons.
tip: To keep the burgers moist inside and out, season only the outsides of the patties; don’t mix salt into the meat. Salt removes water and dissolves some of the meat protein, causing the insoluble proteins to bind together. That’s great for making sausage, where you want a springy texture, but not great for creating tender, juicy burgers.
