I never expected to be disappointed with this meal but I tried to manage my expectations. With that said, I was totally blown away with this burger. Most likely the best burger I have ever eaten.

If interested, I made a meatless version of this same burger. A Meatless Version of the Famous Husk Burger

I’ve mentioned this many times, but I’m a huge fan of Sean Brock’s food. Since he first started at McCrady’s (the original one) in Charleston, he would routinely amaze me with ingredients, techniques, flavors, textures and aromas but some how they always felt familiar. He grew up eating pretty much the same food I did, maybe that’s why. When he won the James Beard Award, I told my wife he’d have another restaurant open within a year. Sure enough, Husk opened and I was fortunate to go twice before it was named the best new restaurant in America by Bon Appetit magazine. After that, good luck getting reservations. You could get into the bar, located next door. There they had a paired down bar menu which included the Husk Burger. The burger immediately became famous.

A few years later a Husk opened in my neck of the woods, Greenville, SC. The regular menu didn’t have the burger but it would appear occasionally. I never had a chance to try, always opting for “things I couldn’t make at home”. Well then 2020 hit and Husk is still closed. I was thinking this is a perfect time to give this one a try. I found the only recipe I could which made 10 burgers. That wasn’t going to work, so I took a crack at pairing it down to just 4 burgers. I also made a few minor tweaks for ease of making this at home.

I used lean ground beef to lighten it up a little. Adding the bacon was enough fat for us. Also, freezing the bacon for about 15-20 minutes before dicing makes it go much easier. I didn’t butter the bun either. The biggest change was the “Special Sauce”. I think it was pretty close to what Husk’s recipe tasted like, but I had to just guess on quantity. Whatever, the sauce I made was definitely special.

From top to bottom, my review of this burger. Toasting the bun helps keep it together. The sauce on both sides of the bun was a great idea to make sure you got a little in each bite. The sauce was perfect, sweet, spicy, rich. Blending all the condiments into one sauce was just brilliant. The thinner, double patties with cheese was decadent. Adding the bacon in with the beef is also brilliant. It still gets crispy, renders, cooks out the fat and cooks the beef in the fat. Also, the bacon can’t fall off the burger. Using American cheese, according to Brock is essential because of the melting factor. I would totally agree, but I could not bring myself to use the “Singles” brand. Putting the shaved onions under the cheese AND putting the second patty on top of the onions is a revelation. It steamed the onions just slightly and again, assured you get a little in each bite. It reminded me of the onions you would get on the single cheese burger at McDonald’s and I’m sure that wasn’t by mistake. I read somewhere that McDonald’s uses dehydrated and rehydrated onions so this is a much better option. The bread and butter pickles on the bottom was also smart because they stay in place and again a perfect complement to the rest of the burger. All together, just simply amazing. I made the baked wedge fries because in the Husk pictures of the burger, seen above, had wedge fries.

My wife and I have for the most part have switched over to Beyond Burgers, I haven’t made beef burgers in several years. This one will be made again, and again.

Recipe makes four burgers, two patties per burger.

Ingredients for the Special Sauce

• 2 tbsp mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp yellow mustard
• 1 tbsp ketchup
• 1+ tbsp bread and butter pickles, diced
• 1+ tbsp pickled jalapeno, diced
• 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
• Several dashes hot sauce
• Several dashes pepper vinegar, Texas Pete
• Season with salt and pepper

Ingredients for Crispy Baked Wedge Fries

• 4 medium Russet potatoes
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• Salt and pepper
• Olive oil

Ingredients for the Husk Burgers

• 1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef
• 4 strips bacon, chopped (Niman Ranch or Benton’s)
• 4 brioche buns
• 1/2 cup white onion, shaved
• 8 slices American cheese (we used Boars Head)
• 20 bread and butter pickles

How to make the Special Sauce

1. Combine all ingredients in mixing bowl and stir to combine. Add more or less of what you want.
2. Cover and refrigerate.

How to make the Crispy Baked Wedge Fries

1. Preheat the oven to 400F degrees.
2. In a small mixing bowl combine all the dry ingredients and mix to combine.
3. Cut each potato in half and then cut those halves in half. Cut those halves in half. Each potato should give you 8 wedge fries. Place all the wedges into a large mixing bowl full of water. Soak for at least 10 minutes, tossing occasionally.
4. Remove from the water and dry with a towel. Disregard the water and wipe the bowl dry.
5. Add the potatoes back to the the bowl, add olive oil and toss to coat.
6. Sprinkle the dry mixture and toss to combine evenly.
7. Add the potatoes to a sheet pan lined with non-stick aluminum foil.
8. Place in the oven for approximately 60 minutes, turning several times until crispy

How to make the Husk Burgers

1. Gently mix ground beef and bacon in a large mixing bowl.
2. Portion the meat mixture in 3 ounce (3/8 cup) patties, about 1/2 inch thick. The mixture should provide 8 evenly portioned patties.
3. While the fries are cooking, place the buns on the bottom rack of the oven with the insides facing down. Toast until golden brown and set aside.
4. Heat a large cast iron skillet or stainless steal pan over medium high heat. You may need two pans or work in batches of 4.
5. Place the patties on the skillet and cook until charred, pressing down with a spatula to keep flattened, about 2 minutes.
6. Flip the patties and cook for approximately 2 more minutes for medium.
7. On four of the patties, place the shaved onions to cover.
8. Place a slice of American cheese on each patty and move the pan to the oven. Allow the cheese to melt completely.
9. Stack the non-onion patties on top of the onion patties. Remove from heat.
10. Smear both sides of the buns with Special Sauce.
11. Place five pickles on the bottom half of each bun. Add the patties and the top halves of the buns. Enjoy.