Depending on topping choices, you may want to start them now
Caramelized onion – these will take some time, so get your pans pre-warmed for later and give yourself plenty of time, more the better
For toasted buns, set the oven on broil 550 degrees and butter both top and bottom buns
Cut/slice cheese
Wash and dry (bibb) lettuce, place on plates
Fried egg – this takes no time at all, so you can start cooking the egg towards the end
Grab your biggest, heaviest frying pan/dutch oven (we choose cast iron dutch ovens) and get the heat cranking. Your choice must include a lid! You want these to be piping hot and ready to go.
Place one shot glass of water beside each dutch oven for later
Using 1 lb thawed bison meat, open with scissors
Use only hands from here on out
Separate ground bison into two halves, gently round meat into soft ball
Shape using flat palms, rotating w fingers (push down w open palm and rotate)
Be gentle. Don’t squeeze, don’t press. Lock in that moisture!
Place thumb in middle of patty and create an indent on top and bottom of the patty, this will help the burger keep shape as it cooks
Place patties on a plate
Heavily salt outside of patties and add pepper
Add additional spices as you see fit
Flip patties and season as you just did
One dutch oven per patty are at max blast.
Get highest temp oil available, such as avocado or grapeseed and add oil to pan, don’t do anything until oil is near/starts to smoke
This is a good opportunity to throw in garlic, onion, etc should you choose, but keep it simple, it will get charred
Cook patties (min/side): 4 mid-rare, 5 mid-well
Don’t mess with it, except for the flip
The flip: lift lid, flip patty and place in a different area of the dutch oven
Place cheese on patties – build a little log cabin
Add any other toppings, this is your last chance, as the cheese melts!
Pour in shot of water and place lid
On the side, prep buns
Toast to preference
Place bibb lettuce curling up to collect dripping juices on the toasted bottom bun
Start the egg immediately after the burgers are flipped.