Beer can stuffed burgers with pimento cheese

The cook

1. 01

   Step 1SORT THE FIRE

   Set up your BBQ for indirect cooking at 180°C with the lid closed. On a kettle, bank the lit coals to one side and put a drip tray on the other. On a kamado, fit the heat deflector and a drip tray. Give the temperature time to settle before the burgers go on.

2. 02

   Step 2MIX THE CHEESE

   Mix the Cheddar, cream cheese, mayonnaise, chopped peppers, hot sauce and garlic granules until evenly combined. Keep it chunky. Dry those peppers properly first — watery filling is not the plan.

3. 03

   Step 3MAKE THE BEEF BOWLS

   Divide the cold mince into four 250 g balls. Wash and dry the outside of an unopened 330 ml beer can, then lightly oil its base and lower sides. Press the base into each ball and shape the beef up around it, making a cavity roughly 4 cm deep with walls and a base about 1–1.5 cm thick. Patch any cracks. The can is a mould, not an ingredient.

4. 04

   Step 4WRAP AND FILL

   With the can still in place, wrap two bacon rashers snugly around each burger, overlapping the ends. Secure with wooden cocktail sticks if needed. Gently twist and lift out the can, then repeat with the remaining burgers. Mix the salt, pepper and paprika and sprinkle over the beef and bacon. Divide the cheese filling between the cavities, keeping it just below the rims.

5. 05

   Step 5COOK INDIRECT

   Place the burgers upright on the grate over the drip tray, away from direct heat. Close the lid and cook for 35–40 minutes before checking. Don’t flip them or squash them. If one side colours faster, carefully rotate the burgers with a wide spatula.

6. 06

   Step 6GLAZE LATE

   When the bacon is taking colour and the thickest beef is around 65°C, brush BBQ sauce over the bacon and exposed beef. Close the lid and cook for roughly another 10 minutes, until the glaze is sticky and the beef reaches 75°C for at least 30 seconds. Probe sideways into the thickest beef wall and check the base too — not just the hot cheese. Allow 45–60 minutes in total, using temperature rather than the clock.

7. 07

   Step 7REST AND BUILD

   Lift the burgers onto a warm tray and rest for 5 minutes, uncovered so the bacon doesn’t steam. Meanwhile, toast the cut sides of the buns over direct heat, watching closely. Remove every cocktail stick, then load the buns with lettuce, a stuffed burger and gherkins. That sharp pickle crunch earns its place against all that rich cheese.