Ingredients

The following ingredients have 4 Servings
  • 2 pounds Roma tomatoes
  • cored and chopped — leave skins intact 
  • ½ cup light brown sugar
  • 1 jalapeño or red chili pepper
  • seeded and finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger
  • grated or minced
  • 2 cloves garlic 
  • minced or grated
  • 1 teaspoon granulated onion
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • About 1 teaspoon teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground cayenne
  • or 1 teaspoon cayenne hot sauce
  • ¼ teaspoon smoked cinnamon or ground cinnamon 
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground clove or allspice
  • 6 slices meaty bacon
  • halved for 12 short-cut slices total
  • 1½ pounds ground sirloin/beef (80/20%) or equal amounts ground beef and bulk breakfast sausage combined
  • Salt and pepper
  • ½ tablespoon canola or olive oil
  • 8 ounces sliced or shredded cheddar cheese
  • 4 medium eggs
  • About 4 teaspoons butter for eggs
  • 4 English muffins
  • sandwich size or thick specialty muffins of choice
  • lightly toasted
  • Sliced pickles
  • to serve
  • Finely chopped white onion
  • to serve
  • Finely chopped iceberg lettuce
  • to serve

Instruction

  • For the tomato jam, bring chopped tomatoes to a boil in medium saucepot
  • Add light brown sugar, pepper, ginger, garlic, granulated onion, ground cumin, salt, cayenne, cinnamon and clove or allspice
  • Reduce heat to low and simmer 1 hour stirring frequently or until the consistency of jam
  • Transfer to a jar with a tight lid and let cool before refrigerating
  • For the BEC (bacon, egg & cheese) burgers, preheat oven to 375˚F and bake bacon to very crisp on slotted pan or wire rack-lined baking sheet for 15 to 18 minutes
  • Season beef; if using a combination of beef and sausage, do not season the sausage
  • Form 4 patties of all beef or beef and sausage with edges a little thicker than center of patties for even cooking
  • Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat for burgers
  • Add a drizzle of oil and cook patties about 6 minutes, turning after 3 to 4, top with cheese to melt, remove to plate
  • Heat a small nonstick skillet over medium heat or 2 small skillets if you have 2, with a dab of butter and add an egg, season with salt and pepper and cover, cook egg to medium or well, remove to plate and repeat
  • Assemble: toasted English muffin bottom with pickles, onions and lettuce, cheeseburger, egg, 3 short slices of crisp bacon across egg, tomato jam slathered all over English muffin top