Directions

• Candied Bacon:
• Preheat the oven to 325°F.
• Put bacon slices in a bowl, season them with pepper and toss with the brown sugar. Cover a baking sheet with parchment or foil and arrange the bacon in a single layer on top. Sprinkle any sugar left in the bowl over the bacon. Top with another layer of parchment or foil and top it, squarely, with another baking sheet. The baking sheet will flatten the bacon as it cooks.
• Place the tray in the center of the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Check the bacon by lifting the top tray and parchment. If it is not golden brown and fairly crispy, resist the temptation to turn up the oven temperature, and cook it for 10 to 15 minutes longer. Check it again. Keep in mind that when you remove the tray and transfer the bacon to a serving platter or individual plates, the bacon will “crisp” up a little more. Be patient!
• Blackberry Compote:
• Bring water, sugar, juice, and allspice to a boil in a small saucepan over moderate heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Boil until reduced to about 1/4 cup. Cool syrup to lukewarm and discard allspice.
• Purée 2 cups blackberries with all of syrup in a blender. Force purée through a fine sieve into a bowl to remove seeds. Stir remaining cup berries into sauce.
• Burger Bun:
• Heat griddle to 400ºF. Butter the inside of the buns thoroughly, from edge to edge, and toast on griddle until crisp. Set aside.​
• Burger:
• Ask your butcher for 1-lb each of grass-fed ground chuck (85/15 blend) and grass-fed ground brisket. Tell them you want the brisket passed through the grinder twice for a finer texture.
• Each patty is a 50/50 blend of chuck and brisket. First divide each of the meats into 16 even-sized balls. Combine one ball from each to make eight larger balls. Gently press into thin patties. The diameter of each patty should be slightly wider than the hamburger bun.
• Season all of the patties with 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Immediately place on hot griddle, salt-side down, and gently press with a spatula to set the shape and adhere the meat to the metal for maximum caramelization.
• Cook until the juices start to push through the surface of the patty, about 2 minutes. Flip, then top all patties with the Irish whiskey cheddar cheese. Once cheese begins to melt and enrobe the patty, about 20 seconds, transfer to toasted buns. Top with blackberry compote, candied bacon, and shredded lettuce (optional).