Cheeseburgers with Bacon Jam and Mustard Mayo

Fri, 24 April 2026

Ingredients:

For the burger mix (your “insurance policy” for juiciness):
• 450g good quality minced beef (ideally 15–20% fat)
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp mayonnaise
• Good pinch salt & pepper

For the cheats bacon jam:
• 200–250g smoked streaky bacon, finely chopped
• 1 jar onion marmalade (200–250g)
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1–2 tsp vinegar (apple cider or red wine)
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• Black pepper

For the secret sauce:
• 4 tbsp mayonnaise
• 1–2 tbsp American Mustard (to taste)

To serve:
• 4 brioche buns
• 8 slices American cheese
• Cos or iceberg lettuce, shredded
• 8–12 sliced pickles
• 4 pieces of tin foil

Method:

Start with the bacon jam. Cook the bacon slowly until really crisp and golden. Spoon off
most of the fat, leaving about a tablespoon behind. Add the thyme, then stir in the onion
marmalade. Let it melt into everything, then add the vinegar, Dijon and Worcestershire.
Bubble for a couple of minutes until it’s glossy and sticky. Taste and tweak! This is so
important as brands vary wildly. Add more vinegar if it needs brightness, and a few twists of
pepper if it’s too sweet. Set aside warm.

The secret sauce is just mayo and American style mustard. Taste it and adjust depending on
how punchy you want it. Chill until needed.

In a bowl, gently mix the beef with the Dijon, Worcestershire, mayo, salt and pepper. Don’t
overwork it! Just enough so it holds together. Divide into 4 and shape into patties slightly
wider than your buns (they’ll shrink) and press a hole in the middle so they don’t puff up.

Get a pan nice and hot. Cook the burgers for 4-5 minutes on each side. If they go a little
further than planned, that added mayo in the mix will keep them forgiving. At the last
minute, add two slices of American cheese to each and let it melt properly.

Toast your brioche buns until golden.

Now lay everything out like a little assembly line! buns, sauce, lettuce, pickles, burgers,
bacon jam and some squares of tin foil or parchment paper so you can build quickly.

Spread sauce on both sides of the bun. Add lettuce and pickles to the base, then the cheesy
burger, then a generous spoon of bacon jam, then the lid.

Wrap each burger snugly in foil and pop into a low oven (about 140°C) for 3–5 minutes.
That’s the trick, it softens the bun, melts everything together, and gives you that proper
“burger joint” finish.

Unwrap and serve straight away, ideally with a few napkins nearby because this won’t be a
tidy situation