Inspiration: We have this great little brewpub in town called Blue Tractor that serves craft beer and delicious Southern-style food. I love Southern food and can never choose between pulled pork or sauteed catfish, sweet potatoes or baked beans, etc. For Brandon, the Carnivore Burger is always at the top of his list when we go to Blue Tractor. Usually, it’s what he ends up choosing, and he always proclaims it as one of the best burgers that he’s ever had. When we had just a little bit of leftover pulled pork to be used at home, this burger was the obvious choice.

What We Loved: Really, what’s not to love about this decadent burger? Ground beef; gooey cheddar cheese; rich and salty bacon; smoky pulled pork; and spicy, buttery jalapenos? I think Blue Tractor knew what they were doing when they came up with that combination of ingredients, and with three different kinds of meats, the title of Carnivore Burger is certainly fitting. We thought that the smoked cheddar worked so well with the complementary smoky flavors of the meats, and we just loved the spicy bite of the buttery jalapenos. This is one heck of a burger!

Tips: Since you only need a small amount of pulled pork for this burger, I would recommend making this when you have some extra pulled pork from a previous recipe in the fridge or freezer. Also, given the title of this post and the ingredients used, I’d like to take a minute to advocate making sure that you know where the meats that you purchase come from. We get most of our meats from a local CSA that humanely raises its animals, and otherwise, we supplement with the best local, grass-fed meats that we can get at Whole Foods and other local stores.

Carnivore Burger
Source: Inspired from Blue Tractor to serve two

About 2/3 lb ground beef
Pulled pork, about 1/2 cup (this is a great use for leftovers)
3 slices bacon, sliced in half to form 6 burger-sized pieces
About 1/2 cup freshly grated smoked cheddar cheese
1 small jalapeno, sliced into rings
Butter

1. Form the ground beef into two hamburger patties. Grill the burgers until cooked through.

2. While the burgers are cooking, cook the bacon in a saute pan, heat the pulled pork in a second pan, and saute the jalapenos in a bit of butter until browned and slightly crispy (about five minutes).

3. Serve the burgers topped with the cheese, bacon, pulled pork, and jalapeno rings.