Coffee-Rubbed Burgers with Dr Pepper BBQ Sauce

INGREDIENTS

Dr Pepper BBQ Sauce

2 Tbsp butter

1/2 yellow onion diced

3 cloves garlic roughly minced

1/2 cup ketchup

1 1/2 Tbsp tomato paste

6 oz Dr Pepper

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

2 1/2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup brown sugar packed

1 tsp ancho chile powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 cup brewed coffee

Coffee-Rub Seasoning Mix

3 Tbsp ground coffee
1 Tsp salt
1 Tsp paprika
1 Tsp brown sugar
1 Tsp pepper
1 Tsp onion powder
1 Tsp garlic powder
1/2 Tsp coriander or cumin

Burgers: 

1.5 lbs Angus ground beef 85/15

2 Tbsp Dr Pepper BBQ sauce, or your favorite sweet and spicy sauce

salt and pepper

Pretzel buns or your favorite burger bun

Arugula lettuce

8 slices peppered bacon (f you cant find peppered bacon, cook bacon and then right after you pull it from the pan sprinkle generously with fresh cracked pepper and let cool)

2 Tbsp butter
8 oz of Smoked Gouda cheese (you can use mild cheddar if you are not a Gouda fan)

INSTRUCTIONS

Combine coffee rub seasoning mix ingredients in a small bowl and mix together with a fork. Set aside.

For the BBQ Sauce: 

Melt butter over MED heat in a saucepan. Add onion and garlic and saute with salt and pepper until soft and translucent, about 8-10 minutes.

Gather sauce ingredients into a bowl. Once onions and garlic are soft, add remaining sauce ingredients, stir to combine. Bring to a low boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, until sauce has thickened.

Pour sauce into blender or food processor and puree. Set aside to cool.

For the Burgers:

To a mixing bowl, add ground beef, salt, pepper and 2 Tbsp room temp bbq sauce. Mix well with your hands. Divide into 4 equal sections. Each burger will be about 1/2 pound.

Rub coffee rub seasoning mix over both sides of each burger. Use all of the rub. You should have a nice thick crust on the burger. 

If indoors: Add 1 Tbsp butter to skillet and add burgers. Cook for about 4-5 minutes per side, until burger is cooked to desired temperature. If grilling, preheat grill to at least 350 and cook each burger 4-5 minutes per side.

Quickly transfer burgers to sheet pan and top the burgers with some cheese and put under the broiler for 2 minutes to melt the cheese.

While the burgers are under the broiler, heat another pad of butter in the skillet you just cooked the burgers on and warm the buns for 2-3 minutes. Remove from pan to cool and ready to top.

Spread BBQ sauce over both sides of pretzel bun, layer peppered bacon on the bottom, then burger, top with arugula, then add the top bun.

Enjoy!