Beef Marrow Cheeseburger Recipe

Servings: 4
Prep time: 30 minutes
Total time: 1 ½ hours (plus some time for freezing)

Victoria Blamey, who was until recently the executive chef at Chumley's, made this burger for an event we hosted in the MUNCHIES Kitchen in collaboration with Baldor Foods and Westland Whiskey. This beautiful burger includes a blowtorched marrow patty—yes, you read that correctly—slathered in a sweet mango BBQ sauce and topped with fried shallots. Now wipe the drool off of your keyboard and go give this recipe a shot.

for the barbecue sauce:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
¾ pound|400 grams sweet onions (about 1)
8 ounces|200 grams diced carrots (about 3 medium)
1 ¾ pounds|300 grams deseeded jalapeños and diced (about 20)
1 ¾ pounds|750 grams ripe mango, peeled and diced (about 4)
⅓ cup|100 grams tomato paste
1 cup|250 ml orange juice
½ cup|100 ml black coffee
¼ cup|50 ml red wine vinegar
kosher salt, to taste

for the bone marrow:
8 pounds|3 kilograms 629 grams bone marrow bones, split lengthwise.
3 ounces|80 grams dehydrated onion flakes

for the crispy shallots:
8 whole shallots, peeled and thinly sliced into rings
vegetable oil, for frying

for the burger:
2 pounds|907 grams ground beef
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. Make the barbecue sauce: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium. Add the onions and cook until translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the carrots and cook until soft but no color, about 10 minutes. Incorporate the jalapeño, mango, and tomato paste. Cook until thick, about 30 minutes, then add in the orange juice and coffee. Cook until it has a deep orange color, about 10 minutes longer. Blend until smooth, then pass through a fine mesh strainer. Once it has cooled down, season with the vinegar and salt.
2. For the marrow: Remove the marrow from the bones with the help of an offset, careful not to get any broken bones. Soak the marrow in a water salt (3%) solution for a day, changing the brine twice. This is to remove the blood from the marrow. Drain the marrow and place it in a deep dish container and cook in the oven at 300°F. Do not add water, just the marrow fat. Cook for 20 minutes, then remove and stir in the onion flakes. Transfer to a sheet tray lined with parchment paper and freeze for a few hours until you can cut the marrow with a ring as wide as the burger patties.
3. For the shallots: Place the shallots in a deep pot and cover with oil. Turn the heat on medium-high and start stirring. As the oil gets hotter the shallots will start changing color. Stir often and when you see a deeper golden be sure to stir them continuously. This should take about 20 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the onions to a paper towel-lined plate and season with salt. Cool completely and reserve.
4. Make the burgers: Form the meat into 4 patties. Season the outside with salt and pepper and cook on a flat top or in a large skillet over medium-high, flipping once, until cooked to desired doneness. Place a slice of yellow American cheese and let it melt. Remove the patty onto a tray. Slice the burger buns and toast. Spread the barbecue sauce on both sides, generously. Place the patty on the bun, put the marrow patty onto the patty and blow torch it hard until melted. Add a good handful of crispy shallots. Close the bun and place a toothpick to hold this beautiful mess together. Serve with fries dress with dry aged beef fat and enjoy!

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