Burgers with Tomato-Bacon Relish

For the relish:
Heat a medium skillet on medium heat. Cut the bacon strips in half and add to the hot skillet. Cook the bacon until crisp, flipping halfway through the cooking. Place the cooked bacon on a paper towel lined plate. When the bacon is cool, break it into small pieces and set it aside. Reserve two teaspoons of bacon grease for the burgers.

Add one tablespoon of olive oil to the same skillet used to cook the bacon (keep the heat on medium). Add the garlic and onions and cook until slightly browned. Add the sugar and curry and cook for about 3 minutes. Pour the two tablespoons of balsamic vinegar into the pan and scrape up the browned bits of onion and garlic.

Add the tomatoes, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper and stir well. Simmer the tomatoes for 15-20 minutes or until the liquid cooks down. Remove the tomatoes from the heat and stir in the bacon bits and mustard. Allow the relish to cool before serving. Makes 1 cup relish.

For the burgers:
Whisk egg, Worcestershire sauce, BBQ sauce, reserved bacon grease, salt, and pepper together. Place the ground beef into a large bowl and add the egg mixture. Mix well with your hands.

Form the beef into four patties.

Brush a little bit of olive oil on a large skillet. Heat the skillet on medium-high. Cook the burgers for about 3 to 5 minutes per side, depending on how thick the burgers are. As the burgers finish cooking, place a piece of cheese on top of each burger and continue to cook until the cheese melts.

Toast the buns under the broiler until browned. Place a burger on each bun and smother with Tomato-Bacon Relish!