The inspiration for this takes a little explanation. Back in the day I used to read Aaron Cameron’s music reviews and recently was really happy to find his blog. Now I like Aaron because he’s funny and he’s a dad to boy a little older than Cole and works in government contracts like Stacy, but Aaron don’t eat like me. In fact, he’s somewhat known for his fast food reviews. Recently he went to and reviewed a restaurant called Slater’s 50/50, known for burgers that are half ground beef and half ground bacon!
I don’t know about you, but that sounds fantastic and something I must try to do. So I whipped out my slab of bacon and my meat grinder and got to grinding.
I also had some of the Joel Salatin ground beef to go with it, too.
Matt’s 50/50 Burgers
dairy-free, egg-free, fish-free, shellfish-free, soy-free, treenut-free, peanut-free, wheat-free
- 1 lb. bacon, ground
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground pepper
- 1 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 grill
- And, as they say in Southside Virginia, the fixins
- Combine the ground meats with the spices
- Form into wide, flat patties – as the bacon fat reduces the burger size
- Grill on medium, about 15 minutes, flipping halfway
When Stacy got a hold of them we got into a “bird’s nest” creation competition with the grape tomatoes I had on hand.
Stacy made hers with guacamole, onions and salsa. I made mine with guacamole and mustard. Cole had mayo (we reuse an old container for our homemade mayo, Hellman’s is not the best Paleo choice!) and mustard with salsa verde.
We all enjoyed the burgers! The bacon adds a fantastic richness and saltiness but it becomes a masterpiece paired with tangy mayo and creamy guac or creamy guac and sour mustard. Add in the tomato flavor bombs and we have an instant classic.
To finish off our meal we served cinnamon sweet potatoes and grilled pineapple slices.
Even the baby loved it. Like, 3 whole burger patties worth of loving.
Featured on Real Food Wednesday!