1. Cook the Bacon:

• Place a large skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon slices in a single layer.
• Cook, flipping occasionally, until the bacon is crispy to your liking.
• Remove the cooked bacon from the skillet and place it on paper towels to drain excess grease. Set aside.

2. Sauté & Caramelize Onions with Stout:

• Carefully pour off most of the rendered bacon grease from the skillet, leaving just about 1 tablespoon (enough to coat the pan).
• Add the sliced onions to the skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions become soft, translucent, and start to caramelize (turning golden brown), usually taking about 10-15 minutes. Be patient for good caramelization.
• Pour the Irish stout into the skillet with the onions. Bring it to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
• Let it simmer gently until the liquid reduces by about half and slightly thickens into a glaze around the onions. Season the onions with salt and pepper to taste. Remove the onions from the skillet and set aside.

3. Prepare and Cook Burger Patties:

• While onions cook or after, prepare the patties. In a medium bowl, gently combine the ground beef, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Mix lightly with your hands – do not overwork the meat, as this can make burgers tough.
• Form the mixture into 4 equal patties, making them slightly wider than your buns (they will shrink). Press a slight indentation (“dimple”) in the center of each patty with your thumb – this helps prevent them from puffing up too much in the middle.
• Heat up your grill or the (wiped clean, if desired) skillet used for onions over medium-high heat.
• Cook the patties for about 3-4 minutes per side for medium-rare, or longer depending on your preferred doneness.
• During the last minute of cooking, top each patty with a portion of the grated cheddar cheese and allow it to melt.

4. Prepare the Sauce and Toast Buns:

• While the burgers cook, prepare the sauce. In a small bowl, simply combine the sour cream, Dijon mustard, and a pinch of salt. Mix well and set aside.
• Melt a little butter (about 1-2 tbsp total) in another clean pan or griddle (or the cleaned burger skillet) over medium heat. Place the burger buns, cut-side down, onto the melted butter and toast until golden brown and slightly crisp.

5. Assemble the Burgers:

• Spread some of the Dijon-sour cream sauce on the bottom half of each toasted bun.
• Place a cheesy burger patty on top of the sauce.
• Pile a generous amount of the stout-caramelized onions over the patty.
• Crisscross two slices of the crispy bacon over the onions.
• Add another dollop of the sour cream sauce on top of the bacon (or spread some on the top bun half).
• Place the top half of the toasted bun over the sauce/bacon.

6. Serve:

• Serve these incredible Irish Pub Burgers immediately! They are fantastic with a side of thick-cut fries (“chips”), onion rings, or a simple salad. Enjoy!