Cowboy Baconator
Howdy everyone! Thanks for stopping by the website. I went up to the Drive-thru window at the local Wendy’s restaurant earlier today and picked up a favorite of mine – The Baconator. Sometimes, I really want to eat one of these burgers, but the closest Wendy’s to the ranch is 80 miles.
Y’all know me enough to know that every time I taste a good food, I start thinking about ways to cowboy it up a little bit. Wendy’s has a great burger here – a double cheeseburger with double bacon, cheese, and some ketchup and mayonnaise. I’ve been a patron of Wendy’s restaurants many times and have never been disappointed.
I’m going to remake The Baconator – Cowboy style and, as always, I’m going to share the recipe and some tips on how to make the juiciest, most delicious burger this side of the Mississippi. This way, you can have the cowboy Baconator at home, anytime you feel like making one.
The Bacon
Let’s start with some Applewood smoked bacon. For the best results, use my home cured bacon. Don’t be scared, it isn’t hard to do and you’ll enjoy eating it that much more.
Now, if you want the crispiest bacon, you need to bake it in the oven. I’m cooking outdoors today and I like to put a wire rack inside my Dutch oven to lay the bacon over. If you’re inside the house, just use an oven-proof wire rack over a baking sheet and you’re good to go.
TIP: For extra crispy bacon, bake it on a wire rack.
Lay four slices of bacon per burger in the wire rack and cook until the bacon is crisped up to where you want it.
The Burger
For the best flavor, start with some 80/20 Certified Angus ground beef. Shannon always asks me to make sure I explain this – the beef is 80 percent lean and 20 percent fat. There are leaner cuts and fattier cuts, but 80/20 is the one I prefer for the best balance of flavor.
TIP: Never season burgers ahead of time. This will dry the meat out. Season just before cooking.
Wendy’s uses two quarter pound patties to make the Baconator. It seems that what you actually get is a little less. I think when you have a burger you shouldn’t have to go looking for the beef. I’m using two 8 oz patties (that’s a half of a pound – each). That’s what I’m talking about!
In the spirit of the Baconator, I’m going to shape the patties into squares instead of round. The cowboy doesn’t cut corners, either!
TIP: Do not put burgers on a cold grill. Always get a good hot fire going.
Season with Red River Ranch Original Seasoning and cook. If you’re grilling, a few minutes on each side should do you just fine.
TIP: Never smash your burger down with the spatula. That is going to remove moisture and flavor from the finished product.
The Sauce
I went ahead and mixed up some mayonnaise, W sauce, and ketchup. For a finishing touch, grate some jalapeno in there to give it a little kick.
The Cowboy Baconator
Now it’s time to assemble this burger.
Layer the burger with three slices cheese, four slices of bacon, two beef patties, and then lather the top bun with the special sauce. You may have to mash it down a bit to get a good bite but it will be worth it.
The flavors from the cheese and the bacon with a hint of jalapeno in the sauce is just an explosion of delicious right there in your face. It’s bites of food like this that make me do my happy dance at the end of the video.
As always, I’d like to thank you for stopping by and sharing our food with your family and friends. Thank you to Wendy’s for the Baconator! Please subscribe to our YouTube Channel and look for a new video every Wednesday at 2:30. We hope to see y’all next week!
Wendy’s Baconator Remake – Cowboy Kent Rollins
Ingredients
- 6 slices thick-cut bacon
- 2 lbs 80/20 ground beef
- Kent’s Original Seasoning or salt and pepper to taste
- 2 hamburger buns
- 4 tablespoons butter softened
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup ketchup
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 jalapenos seeded and grated
- 4 slices pepper jack cheese
- 2 slices American cheese
Instructions
- Place bacon on a wire rack on a baking sheet and bake at 450 degrees F. for 12 to 15 minutes or until bacon is crispy. Set aside to cool.
- Divide the ground beef into 4 equal patties and shape them into squares. Season with Original seasoning, or salt and pepper, and grill about 3 to 4 minutes each side over direct heat.
- Spread the softened butter over the buns and palace them on the grill or flat pan over a burner and cook until they are toasted. Remove and set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and jalapenos.
- To build the burger take the top bun and spread with the mayonnaise mixture.
- Cut the bacon in half to make 12 equal pieces and place 3 pieces of the bacon on the bun, followed by 1 slice of pepper jack cheese and burger patty.
- Top with 3 more pieces of bacon, 1 slice American cheese, burger patty,1 more slice of pepper jack cheese and top bun.
- Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Serve immediately.