Smoked Pimento Cheese Burger 

Ray Sheehan

BBQ Buddha

[email protected] 

Ingredients:

2 ¼ lb. burger blend (chuck, prime short rib, bacon) or 80-20 ground beef

Worcestershire sauce

salt ground

black pepper

Pimento cheese

6 green leaf lettuce leaves

6 thick slices tomato

6 tbsp softened butter

6 hamburger buns

hickory wood

For the Pimento Cheese: Ingredients:

8 ounces cream cheese softened

2 cups grated extra sharp cheddar cheese

½ cup mayo

1 ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 ½ tsp dry mustard

1 ½ tsp onion powder

1 ½ tsp granulated garlic

¼ tsp paprika

½ cup diced canned pimentos, drained

Directions: Place the cream cheese into a food processor and pulse until whipped. Add the shredded cheese, mayo, Worcestershire sauce, dry mustard, onion powder, granulated garlic, and paprika, and pulse to blend. Add the diced pimento and pulse a few times to combine; refrigerate for at least 1 hour or until ready to use.

Prepare a smoker to cook at 275 degrees.

To make the burgers: Using your hands form the meat into 6 burger patties. Brush the patties with a light coating of Worcestershire sauce and season with salt and pepper. Using your thumb press a small indentation into the bottom of the burger to keep it from bulging up as it cooks. Place the burgers onto a sheet pan fitted with a wire rack. Once the cooker reaches temperature add in the hickory wood and place the tray of burgers onto the grate in the smoker Cook until you reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees, about an hour.

To assemble to burgers: Butter each of the buns with 1 tbsp of the softened butter and grill or toast until crispy. Spoon 1/3 cup of the pimento cheese onto the burger, then layer with the burger, tomato, lettuce, and the top bun to serve.