The Ernie Burger

Ingredients

• 2 pounds 80/20 ground beef
• 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
• ¾ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ cup Rib Glaze
• ½ cup pickled jalapeño slices, drained
• ½ cup blue cheese crumbles
• 8 slices Swiss cheese
• 4 sourdough French rolls (8 inches each), split, or large soft buns
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

Burger fixings

• 1 cup shredded butter or romaine lettuce
• 4 thick tomato slices
• 8 dill pickle slices
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced, plus 1 tablespoon butter for grilling

Instructions

1. Grill the onions. Start these first; they cook while you form and season the patties. Melt the butter on the flat-top or in a skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and cook, stirring now and then, until golden and soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Keep warm.
2. Form the patties. Divide the beef into 4 equal portions (8 ounces each). Shape into patties slightly wider than your buns; press a thumb divot in the center.
3. Season both sides with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
4. Grill or sear. Heat a grill or large cast iron skillet over medium-high. Cook patties 3 minutes; flip; cook 3 more minutes; flip and rotate 90° for diamond marks.
5. Glaze. Brush each patty generously with rib glaze. Cook 2 more minutes. Flip a final time, brush again. Cook 2 more minutes. Internal temp 155°F for medium-well.
6. Top and melt. Transfer patties to a foil-lined sheet pan. Top each with 2 tablespoons jalapeños, 2 tablespoons blue cheese crumbles, and 2 slices Swiss. Slide under the broiler 1 to 2 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
7. Toast the rolls. Butter the cut sides; toast under the broiler or on the grill 1 minute until golden.
8. Assemble. Place each patty on a bottom roll. Top with shredded lettuce, tomato, pickles, grilled onions. Close with the top roll, slice in half.

Chef’s Tips

• Heat balance: the rib glaze is sweet, the blue cheese is funky, the jalapeños are spicy. They all need each other. Don’t skip any.
• Cheese trick: the Swiss melts faster than the blue. Adding both gives you a creamy + crumbly contrast.
• Sourdough roll matters. A soft burger bun gets crushed under all this topping; a sourdough French roll holds up.
• Variation: swap pickled jalapeños for fresh jalapeño rings if you want more heat.
• Scaling note: halves and doubles cleanly.

Storage & Make-Ahead

• Patties can be formed a day ahead, refrigerated.
• Best fresh.

From Ernie’s Kitchen

Rib Glaze

The signature sweet-savory baste that goes on every rib in the original kitchen — and on The Ernie Burger too. Brown sugar, a hit of black pepper, smoky paprika, and just enough water to turn it into a glossy, brushable glaze. Make a batch and keep it on hand. It also doubles as a brush-on for grilled chicken thighs, pork chops, or salmon.

Ingredients

• 1½ cups packed dark brown sugar
• 1¼ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ cup sweet paprika
• 1 tablespoon + ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ⅓ cup water

Instructions

1. Mix the dry ingredients in a medium bowl: brown sugar, black pepper, paprika, and salt. Whisk to break up any sugar lumps.
2. Add the water and whisk until you have a smooth, batter-like glaze that drips heavily off the whisk.
3. Use immediately as a baste, brushing on between every flip of the meat (4 times total over the course of cooking is ideal).

Chef’s Tips

• Consistency check: the glaze should look like loose pancake batter — thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, thin enough to brush on without dragging.
• Heat level: for kick, add ½ teaspoon cayenne or a teaspoon of chipotle powder to the dry mix.
• Smoke trick: swap 1 tablespoon of the paprika for smoked paprika for a campfire note.
• Scaling note: halves and doubles cleanly. Keeps for months as dry mix.

Storage & Make-Ahead

• Spice pack: mix the dry ingredients ahead and store in a jar in the pantry for up to 6 months. Add water just before using.
• Wet glaze keeps 2 weeks tightly sealed in the fridge. Stir before each use.