BBQ Bacon Burger

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Place the rack over the sheet pan and set aside.

FOR BACON WRAPPED ONION RINGS:

1. Peel the papery skin from the onions. Slice the onions crosswise with a sharp chef's knife or santoku into ½" to ¾" thick slices. Gently separate the onions into rings. Use the large and medium rings to make the bacon wrapped onions.
2. Take one slice of bacon and go down the length of it with your fingers, tugging and gently pulling the bacon into a longer piece. Try to get it around 18" to 20" long.
3. Thread the bacon through the center of an onion ring and carefully loop it around the perimeter of the onion, overlapping the bacon by about 1/8" inch as you make your way around the onion ring. Secure the end by sticking a toothpick through the bacon and onion to hold it firmly without unraveling.
4. Transfer the bacon wrapped onion rings to the wire rack and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the pan and using a pair of tongs flip the onion rings over. Return the pan to the oven and continue cooking for another 25 minutes.
5. Remove the pan from the oven, flip the onions once more and brush them lightly with BBQ sauce.
6. Turn on the broiler and place the onion rings back in the oven. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the BBQ sauce has glazed the bacon and starts to take on some color. Remove from the oven and let rest.

FOR THE BURGERS:

1. While the onion rings are cooking, form the hamburger into 4 quarter-pound patties. To prevent the "dome" effect, flatten the patties with the palm of your hand and then use a rounded tablespoon to create a divot in the center of each patty. This will keep the patties flat as they cook on the grill.
2. Sprinkle the patties with salt and pepper.
3. Heat the grill to a medium-high heat (about 450°F) and place the burgers over the heating element or glowing coals.
4. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side for medium-rare, or to your desired temperature. Transfer the burgers to a board and immediately top each with a slice of cheese. The heat from the burgers will melt the cheese.
5. While the cheese is melting, toast the buns lightly on the grill for 1-2 minutes.

TO BUILD THE BURGER:

1. Place a patty on the bun. Top with 5-6 slices of pickle chips, followed by 2-3 BBQ bacon wrapped onion rings. Drizzle with additional BBQ sauce and top with the other half of the bun. Enjoy!