Bourbon-Glazed & Confused Burger

I was recently challenged to a burger cook-off. Let me tell ya... you do not mess with a woman who owns a blowtorch. I brought the MF heat! I think it's safe to say I crushed the competition with my Bourbon-Glazed & Confused Burger--a sous vide patty oozing with molten pepper jack cheese and topped with thick-cut bacon, fried shallots, pickled ramps, and a bourbon glaze made with my kief-honey. 

Bourbon-Glazed & Confused Burger
Serves 2

Ingredients for the Burger Patties
• 16oz ground beef (80% lean/20% fat) 
• 2 Tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp bacon grease
• 1/4 cup cubed pepper jack cheese
• 1/2 tsp ground pepper 

Ingredients for the Glaze
• 1/4 cup ketchup 
• 1 oz bourbon
• 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 3 Tbsp kief-honey
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• Salt and pepper to taste - I used a hickory smoked salt

Ingredients for the Toppings
• 2 burger buns - toasted before assembly
• 4 slices thick-cut bacon - fried, save the grease
• 1 large shallot - sliced into thin rings on a mandoline
• 3 Tbsp cornstarch
• Bread and butter pickles or pickled ramps to garnish

Directions
1. Set your sous vide water bath to 55ºC (131ºF)
2. Mix the ground beef throughly with bacon grease, soy sauce, and pepper. Split into two patties. 
3. Begin forming the meat into two loose patties, press into the middle and shape a little bowl for the pepper jack cheese. Place a few cubes in and seal the meat around it until it's completely enclosed.
4. Prepare two quart-sized, freezer-safe zip bags and place a patty in each. Seal using the water displacement method and sous vide for 1.5 hours. 
5. In a small saucepan over medium heat, reduce the ketchup, bourbon, vinegar, honey, brown sugar, paprika, and brown sugar until it turns into a glaze. Remove from heat and salt and pepper to taste. 
6. In another small saucepan, heat a cup of canola oil over medium-high heat until it registers 275ºF. Give the shallots a good coat of cornstarch, and drop into the hot oil, lightly stirring until it turns light, golden brown. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the shallots onto a paper towel-lined plate.
7. After 1.5 hours, remove patties from the water bath and pat them dry on a paper towel. 
8. To finish the patty, heat up a cast iron over medium-high heat with the rest of the bacon grease. Once hot, sear the patties for about 40 seconds on each side to get a nice crust. Season with salt. This is also another great opportunity to bust out your blow torch if you don't want to use a cast iron! Bringin' the heat! 
9. To assemble, place a patty on each toasted bun and top with two slices of thick-cut bacon, a handful of fried shallots, pickles, and a big drizzle of the bourbon glaze. Crushed it!