Building a better burger begins on the inside

Hamburgers simply weren't intended to be health food.

That's because good burgers are built from a more-fat-is-better premise.

To construct a supremely flavorful burger, you'll want to stick with ground beef that is about 85 percent lean. Of course, all that fat means there will be some shrinkage during cooking, so don't be intimidated by the size of the raw patty.

And fatty bacon is a perfect accompaniment to burgers. But slapping slices of cooked bacon on top of a burger is never satisfying.

A better technique is to cook the bacon in a skillet, then chop it up and add it to the raw beef. This method infuses the hamburger with a more uniform bacon flavor.

Incorporating the bacon into the beef works so well, why not try the same technique with some other ingredients? Finely diced yellow onion, roasted red peppers and Parmesan cheese (selected for its ability to impart flavor without bulk) make this burger burst with flavor.

The fastest way to prepare these burgers is to use a food processor to finely dice the bacon, onion and red pepper, but some aggressive chopping with a knife will do just fine.

Bacon cheeseburger

1/2 pound bacon

1 small yellow onion

1 roasted red pepper

1 pound ground beef (85 percent lean)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Heat a large skillet over medium-high flame. Add the bacon and cook until crisp, about 3 to 5 minutes. Drain and set aside. Coat the grill rack with oil or cooking spray. Preheat the grill to medium-high. Place the onion in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add the bacon and roasted red pepper, then pulse again until just chopped. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Add the ground beef, salt, pepper and cheese to the bowl, then use your hands to gently combine until just mixed. Divide the meat into four equal patties. Grill the burgers for 4 to 5 minutes per side.