Whiskey Burgers

Ingredients:

• (4) 6-6 ½ oz. hamburger patties
• ¼ c. whiskey
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 4 strips of bacon
• 8 thick-sliced pieces of yellow American cheese
• 2 large Vidalia onions, peeled, cut in half and thinly sliced
• 2 T. olive oil
• 2 T. reserved bacon fat
• 1 t. salt
• 4 hamburger buns

Instructions:

Place the bacon in a large skillet and cook until crisp.  Remove to a paper towel lined plate to cool.  Reserve 2 T. of the bacon fat.  Discard the remaining bacon fat and wipe out the skillet.  Add the olive oil and the 2 T. of bacon fat to the same skillet, then add the onions, cooking over low heat.  Add the salt and cook, turning the onions often for 30-40 minutes until they are brown and caramelized.  Set aside to cool.  While the onions are cooking, add the whiskey and chopped garlic to a shallow dish.  Put in the hamburger patties and let marinate for 15 minutes.  Then flip and marinate another 15 on the other side.  Grill the burgers over medium-high heat for 5 minutes per side for a medium/medium rare burger.  If you aren’t using 6 or 6 ½ oz. hamburgers you might want to cook the hamburgers less if you’re looking for a medium rare burger.  The last minute of grilling, add two slices of cheese to each burger and close the lid to melt the cheese.  Remove the burgers to a platter.  Place each hamburger on a bottom bun, the top with a large spoonful of caramelized onions and then one strip of bacon broken in half.  Top each burger with a top bun and serve.