{"id":7782,"date":"2025-09-08T08:21:36","date_gmt":"2025-09-07T22:21:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dinnertimesomewhere.com\/?p=7782"},"modified":"2025-09-08T09:00:54","modified_gmt":"2025-09-07T23:00:54","slug":"au-cheval-burger","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dinnertimesomewhere.com\/index.php\/dinner\/beef-dinner\/au-cheval-burger\/","title":{"rendered":"Au Cheval Burger"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Many people (critics and otherwise) describe the Au Cheval Burger as the best hamburger in the US. In our opinion if you\u2019re the best burger in the US, the home of burgers, you\u2019ve got yourself the best burger in the world. Au Cheval<\/a> is a restaurant in NYC and Chicago that is famed for their amazing burgers. In this recipe we aim to recreate this famous burger and show you how to easily make it at home yourself. You can be the judge, is this the best burger you\u2019ve ever eaten?

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Jump to Recipe<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

What are the ingredients in the famous Au Cheval Burger?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

What makes this burger so unique is the hallmark strips of thick-cut bacon that lay atop the double patty of Smash Burgers. The strips of Bacon are huge and carry a beautiful sweet and caramelized flavor that binds the whole burger together. Topped with some freshly cracked Pepper, it\u2019s what makes the Au Cheval Burger truly unique

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In addition to the Bacon there is, of course, the Burgers. Two perfectly cooked Smash Burgers with melty American Cheddar Cheese rest perfectly on one side of the Brioche Bun. The Burger is presented in a way that each of the buns holds about half the ingredients, and is presented as an \u2018open burger\u2019, on the plate

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This amazing Au Cheval Burger consists of two Smash Burgers, American Cheese, Dijonnaise, Onions, Pickles, Bacon, and a Fried Egg<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

On the second bun sits a perfectly fried sunny side up Egg that\u2019s topped with a more than generous sprinkling of freshly cut Chives. Under the egg sits some Pickles, diced Red Onion and a Dijonnaise. The whole Burger comes together beautifully with the combination of flavors pairing perfectly in this delicious burger

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How to make the famous Au Cheval Burger<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are several components to this burger that are best prepared in advance of cooking the actual Burgers. In fact, the Smash Burger cooking should be the last thing you cook, so it can be plated onto the Buns while hot

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The first step in our Au Cheval Burger Recipe is making that beautiful caramelized thick-cut Bacon. It\u2019ll be difficult to find anything suitable at the store (you may get lucky however) so we\u2019ll be making this ourselves. Start by getting a small piece of Pork Belly from the store. Avoid those massive cuts, aim for one that\u2019s got the length of a typical Burger

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Then, slice the Pork Belly into bacon strips about \u00bc inch thick. Cut them thicker than you typically would think about cutting Bacon, as the Bacon is ridiculously thick on this Burger. Once cut, slice off the skin \/ rind and then place the pieces of Bacon on a wire rack over a sheet pan lined with foil

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This recipe shows you how to make the famous Au Cheval Burger at home<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Caramelizing the Bacon<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We tried two different versions of Bacon for our Au Cheval Burger Recipe. We brushed half of the pieces generously with Honey, and the other half was coated with Brown Sugar. It was interesting to observe the results

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The Bacon is roasted in the oven at 375F until caramelized and turning a rich darkish brown color. Interestingly the Honey brushed Bacon took a lot less time to achieve this color than the Bacon (about 10 minutes compared to about 25 minutes for the Sugar)

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I assume this is because the Honey has already melted and immediately begins to caramelize, where as the Sugar needs time to melt and dissolve into the Bacon before it begins the caramelization process. Taste wise they were both very similar, but I\u2019d give a slight edge to the Brown Sugar, mainly because the longer cooking time meant a more tender piece of Bacon

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Once you\u2019re Bacon is done you can set it aside and prepare the other ingredients. Simply dice up some Red Onions and make a Dijonnaise by combining equal parts Mayo with Dijon Mustard and mix well. Slice up some Pickles and you\u2019re ready to make the Smash Burgers!

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\"Caramelizing
Caramelizing the Bacon is a critical step, and one that’s best done by cutting your own slices from Pork Belly<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Cooking the Smash Burgers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It doesn\u2019t matter what accompaniments go into a Burger, the quality of it is 100% based on how good the Ground Beef is that you\u2019re using. I\u2019m sure Au Cheval use absolute top-quality Beef, so if you can, shed a few extra bucks and get the best quality Ground Beef you can get (Wagyu if possible!)

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Aim for at least 80\/20, but preferably 70\/30 Beef. This means there is 70% Beef to 30% fat content in the meat. A higher fat percentage means a tastier Burger!

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Form the Burgers into balls about 3 \u2013 4 oz. large and then heat a large frying pan or cast-iron skillet over medium high heat. Once smoking hot, place the Burgers onto the pan. Before smashing them, allow one side to cook for about 10 seconds then turn them over and then smash them flat using a spatula or any other flat surface

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Cook the Smash Burgers last once all your other ingredients are ready. This way you can serve the Burger piping hot<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Searing one side then flipping them before smashing is a little trick that prevents the Beef from sticking to the spatula when it\u2019s smashed. It saves a world of hassle from having to scrape the meat off the spatula!

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Season well then cook for 3 minutes, or until the underside is thoroughly charred then flip them over. Season again then lay a piece of American Cheese on top and cook for a further 2 \u2013 3 minutes and they\u2019re done. Stack them on top of each other and place them on top of the topside of the Bun on a plate

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Plating and serving<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I like to plate both buns separately before putting them on a serving plate. This will prevent anything from spilling, so you can have the cleanest looking plate for serving. After all, we\u2019re replicating a famous Burger here so presentation counts!

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For authentic plating, serve the two buns loaded with varying ingredients on the plate like this. Just like they do in the restaurant<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Place the top and bottom buns upside down so you can stack ingredients into them. On the top bun we place the two stacked Smash Burgers and Cheese, then top with two strips of thick-cut caramelized Bacon. Finish the Bacon with a generous seasoning of freshly cracked Black Pepper

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On the bottom bun, start with a generous slathering of Dijonnaise, then add Red Onions and Pickles. Top with a perfectly cooked Fried Egg then garnish with finely diced Chives. The dish is now done! Serve each of the buns open face on the plate so people can push them together and enjoy this amazing homemade Au Cheval Burger

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