Bacon Cheeseburgers with Kentucky Bourbon Sauce

These splurge-worthy cheeseburgers are topped with crispy bacon and coated in a
rich bourbon-spiked ketchup. (Stock up on plenty of the sauce ingredients. You're
going to want to make extra to use for dipping fries!)  Super summer grilling fare!

Ingredients

• 2 large handfuls hickory or mesquite wood chips
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 2 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch wide strips
• 1 yellow onion, about 5 ounces, finely chopped (2/3 cup)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup bourbon
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup water
• 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 3 tablespoons un-sulfured molasses (not blackstrap)
• 2 tablespoons dark steak sauce
• 1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard
• 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
• 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
• 8 slices bacon
• 1 1/2 pounds ground chuck (80% lean)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 4 ounces smoked cheddar cheese, shredded or sliced
• 4 hamburger buns, split
• 4 leaves romaine lettuce
• 8 slices ripe tomato (1 large)

Directions

1. Soak the wood chips in water for at least 30 minutes.
2. In a heavy medium saucepan warm the oil over medium heat. Add the bacon strips and cook until browned and crisp, 3 to 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain and cool, leaving the drippings in the pan.
3. Add the onion to the saucepan, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until soft and golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the bourbon, increase the heat to medium-high, and boil to reduce slightly about 1 minute. Add the next eight ingredients (through the hot pepper sauce) and bring to boiling over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until the mixture thickens and is reduced to about 2 cups, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat and stir in the cooked bacon. Cover and keep warm.
4. Meanwhile, in a skillet cook the 8 bacon slices over medium heat until browned and crisp, 8 to 10 minutes, turning occasionally. Transfer bacon to paper towels to drain.
5. Mix the ground chuck, salt, and pepper and gently form four patties of equal size, each about 3/4-inch thick. With your thumb or the back of a spoon, make a shallow indentation about 1 inch wide in the center of the patties to prevent them from forming a dome as they cook. Chill until ready to grill.
6. Prepare grill for direct cooking over medium-high heat (about 400 degrees F). Drain and add the wood chips to the charcoal or to the smoker box of a gas grill, following manufacturer's directions, and close the lid. When smoke appears, grill the patties over direct medium-high heat, with the lid closed, until cooked to medium doneness (160° F or 70° C), 8 to 10 minutes, turning once. During the last minute of grilling time, place one-fourth of the cheese on each patty to melt, and toast the buns, cut side down, over direct heat.
7. Build each burger on a bun with lettuce, tomato, bacon slices, and sauce.