- 8 slices bacon
- 1 pound ground beef chuck or sirloin
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 or 2 dashes Tabasco sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Vegetable oil, for grilling
- 4 slices Swiss cheese
- 4 hamburger buns, toasted, for serving
- Thinly sliced ripe tomato, for garnish
- Thinly sliced red onion, for garnish
- Sliced ripe avocado, for garnish
- Boston lettuce leaves, for garnish
- If you will be grilling the burgers, preheat a barbecue grill to medium-high.
- While the grill is heating up, cook the bacon on the stovetop in a large skillet over medium-low heat until it is just crisp, 6 to 7 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels and set it aside to drain. (If you prefer to panfry the burgers, reserve 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat in the skillet.)
- Place the beef, Worcestershire, Tabasco, thyme, and salt and pepper in a bowl, and toss lightly with a fork to combine. Form the mixture into 4 patties, each about 3 inches in diameter and 1 inch thick.
- When you are ready to grill the burgers, oil the grill grate well. Add the burgers and grill for about 3 minutes for rare, 4 minutes for medium-rare meat. Turn them over and grill for another 3 or 4 minutes, topping the burgers with the cheese in the last minute of cooking. (Or panfry the burgers in the hot bacon fat over medium heat for 3 minutes per side for rare meat, adding the cheese as described.)
- Place the burgers on the toasted buns, and top them with the bacon, tomato, onion, avocado, and lettuce. Cover with the tops of the buns and serve immediately.