Bobby Flay BOM May - Pimenton Cheeseburger

Ahhhhh, Pimento cheese.

That ambiguous Southern condiment that shows up on every table south of the Mason/Dixon line.
Whether it be a Sunday Social or a family picnic, you will see that orange spread displayed right up front.

No self-respecting southerner wouldn't even entertain the thought of not making it.

Bobby Flay decided it was worthy enough for his Burger of the Month - May.

I would have thought he would make a Kentucky Burger since he is the Grand Master of parties every where within 5 miles of the Derby and a site devoted to "How to Host a Derby Party".

Never-the-less, we have never had pimento cheese and since we make his BOM every month, I grabbed the chance to try it.
I found a contest winning recipe on the Food Network site and did not change a thing.

What I do like about this recipe is the inclusion of minced ham with the ground beef. I imagine a can of Devil's Ham would work even better then the Virginia ham I used, I did not think about it until after I got home from the market (next time, and there will be a next time).
The ham adds a saltiness, so I did not salt the burger at all.

Three pieces of bacon, three sturdy rolls and three 6oz burgers all ready for grilling.

The cheese was easy to make. I plopped everything into the processor and whizzed away until it was smooth. Stored in the fridge until the burgers were grilled, I didn't have to do anything more.

I really spread it on thick, on both sides of my roll. It was a little messy but what good burger isn't? Just make sure you make extra to keep in the fridge. Would make a great addition to a basic boring grilled cheese and I would even spread it on a hot dog. The Nudge says he would love to spread this on crackers while watching the Yankees.

Pimento Cheese Burger
makes about 1 cup
adapted form the Food Network

Pimento Cheese:
* 1 cup shredded extra-sharp Cheddar, room temperature
* 1/3 cup shredded Monterey jack, room temperature
* 3 tablespoons mayonnaise, room temperature
* 2 tablespoons cream cheese, room temperature
* 2 ounces jarred diced pimento peppers, drained
* 1 tablespoon bread and butter pickle juice
* 1/2 tablespoon horseradish sauce
* 1 teaspoon yellow mustard

Process everything together or mix by hand. Refrigerate.