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Like Avocado And Beef? Then Come On Down

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Substantial trial and very little error helped produce this recipe for a uniquely tasty cheeseburger.

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By TONY "FATSO" SICILIANO

Tribune correspondent

Published: March 5, 2009

My beautiful bride and I have been married for 7 1/2 wonderful years. When I think back to our wedding, I remember there were so many things to take care of. There were the flowers, the hall, the food and the dresses. So many things to do, and yet I seemed to avoid all serious responsibility.

I only had to show up on the wedding day and arrange the honeymoon. I thought the latter would be a piece of cake. What is there really to do besides book a flight, reserve a room, rent a car and remember the swimming trunks?

I couldn't care less where we went on our honeymoon; anyplace would have been fine. So, about three months before the wedding, I asked my fiance where she'd like to go. Without a second of hesitation she blurted out, "I want to go to Hollywood!" She wanted to go on the tour of celebrity homes, stroll along the "Walk of Fame," press her hands against those in front of Grauman's Chinese Theatre. And she wanted to try her luck as a contestant on "The Price is Right."

We did it all, and I cherish those memories.

I also cherish the memory of the bacon avocado burger I had for lunch while we were there. I never really tried an avocado before my honeymoon; the mushy texture and ugly green turned me off. But when we were in California, the avocados were everywhere, so I threw caution to the wind. Instantly, I was a fan.

The clean, nutty taste is as at home on a tortilla chip as it is on a steak. The flavor is noticeable, but more as a complement to the primary flavors it is paired with. Avocado will never overpower a dish.

I have concocted a pretty amazing recipe for guacamole, and of all the things I like to pair it with, a medium-rare rib eye steak is at the top of the list. The rich flavor of the avocado slices also works well on top of a great burger.

I have been making bacon avocado burgers ever since our honeymoon. The hearty flavor of ground beef mixed with Worcestershire sauce, the smoky flavor of bacon and cheddar cheese, and the creamy flavor of the avocados makes a simple dish that causes a bunch of things to happen in your mouth at one time.

While my bride reminisces about meeting Bob Barker, I get sentimental about the time I spent with my first bacon avocado burger. I came up with this very similar recipe after substantial trial and very little error.

TONY FATSO'S GRILLED BACON AVOCADO CHEESEBURGER

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

2 pounds lean ground beef

12 slices of bacon

6 slices of cheddar cheese

2 ripe Haas avocados

2 tomatoes, sliced

Hamburger buns

Preheat a medium-hot grill. Mix the Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper together with the ground beef. Shape the meat mixture into six patties. Put the patties in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to let the flavors marinate together. Cook the bacon. Grill each burger directly over the medium-high heat. While burger patties are cooking, cut the avocados in half and twist to separate them. Remove the seed and slice the avocado. Top each grilled patty with a piece of cheddar cheese and two slices of bacon. Serve each patty on a bun with lettuce and sliced tomatoes. Then top each patty with a couple of slices of avocado.

I like to use mayo on this, but if you're looking for something with an extra pop, reduce 1/2 cup of balsamic vinegar by half and drizzle that over the avocado and burger.

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