The Funky Java burger is stacked with bleu cheese, cinnamon apples, caramelized red onions, and espresso rub to create an explosion of flavor!

Several years ago, I spent the weekend in St. Louis for a good friend’s bachelor party. Typical guy’s trip……ball game, casino, good times, and we ate some good food!!  One place, Bailey’s Range, was legit! With top-notch burgers, scratch shakes, and a couple dozen local beers on tap, we got comfortable for a bit.  

My wife was pregnant at the time, so I wasn’t really drinking.  It “takes two to tango” and I’m not the type of dude to leave a friend hanging on the outside of a good time when I partly put them there. She has been one of my best friends from the get, so I didn’t consume alcohol and followed the pregnant diet for nine(ish) months; which was easy except for the constant batches of muffins. I couldn’t hang with her on those and that didn’t seem to bother her in the least.  Anyway, since I wasn’t balancing the liquid diet on this trip, my inner foodie was going wild! 

This place has a revolving menu with weekly burger battles so this burger isn’t there anymore, but it was. And it was amazing! It sounds crazy, I know.  Trust me, though, just go for it!  

The Burger & Coffee

This is a perfectly balanced half pound burger! The espresso creates a very robust sear on the meat.  Therefore, my favorite cooking method for these is the flat iron grill or cast iron.  This method helps create the perfect glazed coffee crust. If you decide to downsize the burger, consider dialing back on the espresso as well.  I’ve made these on 1/3 lb patties and it can be easy for the coffee to become overwhelming with a slight bitterness when dealing with smaller burgers. 

The Funky Java Burger

Print

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef
• 2 brioche buns
• 1/4 cup blue cheese
• 1/4 red onion, sliced
• 1 granny smith apple
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tbs sugar
• 4 tsp espresso
• salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Patty the meat into two, 1/2 lb patties. Salt & Pepper to taste and rub 1 tsp of espresso onto each side. Cook to your preference over medium high.
2. While the burgers are cooking, caramelize the onions by placing them in a skillet, over medium heat.
3. For the apples: Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Core/chop the apple. Mix the cinnamon and sugar well. Liberally cover the apples and place them in the skillet. Cook for about 10 minutes, or until the apples are soft and golden brown.
4. As soon as the burgers are removed from the heat, top them with equal amounts of bleu cheese (1/8 cup each) allowing it to soften slightly.
5. Toast the brioche buns and place the burgers on the bottom halves. Equally cover the burgers with the fried apples and caramelized onions.

Notes

If you have a hard time balancing things in the kitchen, simply prepare the onions and apples prior prior to the meat and keep them warm until time to serve.

For other delicious burger recipes, check out The Triple Stack Burger and PB&J Burger.