Fig-Glazed Cheeseburgers with Pickled Red Onions & “Special Sauce”

Can we just talk about how overwhelmed I am that it is the last day of June?! And that tomorrow is the start of JULY?! And that this Friday is JULY 4TH?!?

Crazy pants.

I guess I should embrace that the summer is moving along in full force, but it’s happening too fast! Sigh. I think my denial has something to do with the fact that our house is under construction (new floors on most of the first level, kitchen demo, new kitchen reno, etc….basically our house is/will be a complete disaster zone for 6+ weeks), and I feel exhausted by the whole thing already. By the time it’s done, the summer will be almost over…and that’s completely depressing to me. We’ve been so busy with the decisions surrounding the new kitchen and running around emptying every nook and cranny of our current kitchen (and finding space to put everything!), that I haven’t been able to really savor the summer yet. It just hasn’t sunk in yet.

Every day, I come home from a long day of working to PEOPLE IN MY HOUSE. Just that alone. Gah. I don’t know about you, but I am one of those people who doesn’t want to engage in conversation or do ANYTHING involving brain power when I get home from work. I want to see my dogs, flop on the couch, and unwind for a little bit. And that’s it. That’s all I can manage.

Don’t get me wrong…I am completely grateful for all the work our contractor and his crew are doing, but coming home to a house full of people each and every  workday is tough. By the time they wrap up each night, I’m even more exhausted than I was when I first got home.

OK, complaining time is over. I promise: no more whining about my beautiful new kitchen reno. Haha. Such a brat.

ANYWAY.

The 4th is this Friday, and despite my denial, I am sharing a delicious burger recipe with you today that is PERFECT for the upcoming grilling holiday. I take your standard beef burger and add some nontraditional sweetness in the way of figs. Yes, FIGS.

Don’t knock it ’til you try it. I place a smidge of fig jam on each burger patty as it grills away, and the jam sort of coats each burger in a subtle-but-addictive sweetness. It doesn’t taste FIGGY or anything, just kinda sweet and savory. Yum. The rest of the burger situation is pretty standard…except for the sauce.

You know how chain burger places always have that amazing mayo-based burger sauce? I love it. Each one is a tad different, but they’re also all very similar. The recipe below is the closest I’ve come to that tangy-sweet “special” sauce you often see on these chain burgers. SO GOOD. It plays right into my pickle obsession…which, yes, was very much present before I was pregnant.

So, yeah, don’t be like me. Embrace the summer. Embrace that July 4th is in a few days. And embrace these burgers.

I want to…all over again.

 

 

Fig-Glazed Cheeseburgers with Pickled Red Onions & “Special Sauce”

(makes 4 servings)

 

For the Burgers:

1 lb ground beef

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

2 garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed

Salt and pepper

¼ cup fig preserves

4 oz havarti cheese, sliced (or whatever cheese you like)

 

For the “Special Sauce”:

3 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 tablespoon ketchup

1 teaspoon mustard

2 teaspoons sweet pickle relish

1 teaspoon Sriracha hot sauce

1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

1 teaspoon sugar

 

Pickled red onions

Sliced pickles, lettuce, and tomatoes

4 hamburger buns, toasted

 

For the Burgers:

Preheat a grill to medium-high heat and carefully oil the grates. Combine the beef, Worcestershire, and garlic in a medium bowl and season with salt and pepper. Form into four patties. Place the patties on the grill, cover, and cook for 4 minutes per side. Once the burgers are cooked on one side, place a tablespoon of the fig preserves on each burger. It will melt and coat the burgers. Top with the cheese during the last 30 seconds of cooking time. Keep patties warm until ready to serve.

 

For the “Special Sauce”:

Combine all the ingredients together in a small bowl and adjust seasoning as necessary. Spread on the toasted burger buns.

Top each burger bun with a cheeseburger and desired toppings. Serve immediately.

 

 

“Special Sauce” recipe lightly adapted from here.