Hot Mess Black Eyed Pea Burgers

Place the onion slices and the buttermilk into a large bowl to soak. Set aside.

Prepare the burgers. Place the onions and olive oil in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until they’re golden and caramelized, 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic, cook for one minute, and then remove the onion mixture to a large bowl.

Return the skillet to the heat and add the red peppers. Cook until they are soft, about 4 minutes, and then add them to the bowl. Turn off the burner.

Dump the shredded carrots, the jalapenos (optional depending on your spice preference), and the chopped cilantro into the bowl. Stir. Then mix in the spicy BBQ sauce, the honey, the kosher salt, the chili powder, and the paprika.

Then add the black eyed peas and smash them with the back of a fork until all the ingredients are evenly incorporated (you could also use a food processor for this). Next use two knives or a pastry cutter to cut in the wheat flour, adding more to reach your desired consistency (you want to be able to form patties out of the mixture, but you don’t want them to be cakey or dry).

Form 6-8 patties out of the mixture, place them on a plate and refrigerate until you’re ready to cook them.

Whisk together the all purpose flour, the 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper. Dredge the buttermilk soaked onion slices in the flour mixture to coat them. Set them on a plate.

Heat about an inch of oil in a heavy skillet or pot over medium heat. When the oil is hot add the onions into the oil. Fry the onion slices until golden brown on both sides then set them aside on paper towels to drain. It only takes about a minute to cook each onion ring.

Spray a large skillet with non-stick cooking spray. Cook the burger patties over medium-high heat to brown on each side. You just want them to be hot all the way through. Depending on your skillet they may look a little charred. It’s cool.

Add a burger to the bottom half of each bun. Top each burger with pepper jack cheese. Then add sliced jalapenos. Then top with an onion ring, then salad greens and a dollop of BBQ sauce. Serve immediately.