Back when James Lileks used to produce the weekly Diner podcast, one of the many curious things to be found in that establishment on the shore of Lake LeLac was the:
Ticker-Stopper Menu. The portion of the bill of fare that’s wrapped in bacon, dipped in butter and deep-fried. Diet Cokes are free, as is use of the defeebrulator.
On occasion, there was specific mention of the “Ticker-Stopper Burger” and the fate of those who dared consume it.
Well, now, you can make your own at home. The two meat patties (ground beef and chopped bacon) are cooked in clarified butter, also used to separately sauté slices of onion. A sliced bun is anointed with home-made garlic butter and then toasted in a pan with—you guessed it—clarified butter. After flipping the patties, a slice of cheddar cheese is melted on the top of each one. This is assembled into a stack with more garlic butter. If cooking videos aren’t to your taste, here’s a written recipe.
Clarified butter (from which the milk solids have been removed) is used in cooking because it has a higher smoke point (does not burn) at temperatures used in frying and other cooking. Here is a video recipe for making your own. Store-bought clarified butter is sometimes sold as “ghee”, which is an Indian name for clarified butter which is often cooked for longer to add to its flavour.
This delicacy is sometimes called a “Wisconsin butter burger” after that U.S. state with so many cows.