Cheeseburger

Preparation

1. Prepare the keto burger buns.
2. I brushed a batch of these buns with one egg yolk mixed with a tablespoon of water which gave them a shiny finish. I make mine in batches and freeze for future use. You can make any keto bread in advance, freeze and defrost at room temperature.
3. In a bowl, mix the ingredients for the burger patties: beef, minced garlic, onion powder, apple cider vinegar, sea salt and black pepper. Do not overmix or the burgers will become tough.
4. Pierce the patties with a fork several times. This will loosen the patties and help them cook equally without curling or getting tough while enabling maximum caramelisation. Set aside.
5. Prepare the burger sauce by mixing the mayonnaise, ketchup, pickle juice, salt and pepper. Set aside.To brown the keto burger buns, cut them widthwise. Brush them with melted butter and cook in a hot skillet cut side down for about a minute or until browned and crispy. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
6. Grease the hot skillet with a tablespoon of ghee and add the burger patties. The patties should sizzle as soon as they touch the skillet. Do not crowd the pan - work in batches. Cook over high heat, until a crust forms on the bottom and the burgers are easy to flip on the other side. This will take 2-3 minutes.
7. Once flipped, cook until the crust forms on the bottom and the sides are browned. Do not pierce the burgers with a fork or you will lose the juices. It will take another 2-3 minutes to cook through. The thicker the patties, the longer they will take to cook. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
8. In the same pan, cook the bacon slices. Cut each of the slices lengthwise and cook until browned and crispy. Alternatively, bake in the oven.
9. To assemble the burger: Spread about 2 teaspoons of the burger sauce on each bun halve. Top each the bottom half with 4 slices of pickles and add a quarter of the shredded lettuce.
10. Add a burger patty, 2 onion slices, 1 slice of tomato and 1 slice of cheese.
11. Place under a broiler for a minute until the cheese is meted. Otherwise, you can add the cheese directly on top of the burger patty while still hot. Finally, top with 2 slices of cooked bacon and add the top half of the burger bun.
12. Serve with a green salad or fried sweet potatoes.