Father’s Office Burger
from http://www.markarana.com/post/112004572/fathers-office-office-burger-recipe-oh-yeah

Sang Yoon's (chef and owner of Father's Ofiice in Santa Monica) venerable Office Burger is a complex arrangement of ethereal flavors. Yoon blends dry aged ribeye with his ground chuck to give the meat blend a more sophisticated flavor. The bacon-caramelized onion reduction brings your palate to life with a sweetness that supplants the need for ketchup and other flavor-camouflaging condiments, which are strictly taboo at this Santa Monica landmark. That sweetness is also balanced out perfectly by the subtle bitterness of arugula and a Gruyère-blue cheese mixture melted gently atop the patty.

The Today Show had Sang Yoon on and he gave out the recipe (Yoon charges $14 for his burger). What a Memorial Day treat! Enjoy! -Mark

For the burgers:

2 pounds course ground chuck
4 mini baguettes
Salt and pepper
4 ounces of arugula
4 ounces of gruyere
4 ounces maytag blue
Caramelized onion and apple wood bacon compote (recipe below - make ahead)

Form meat into four flat burger patties. Season patties with salt and pepper. Grill until desired doneness; remove from grill and let rest. Toast bun in toaster oven. Place cooked patties on buns and top with both cheeses, onion compote and arugula. 

For the onion compote:

Chopped bacon
Butter
3 yellow onions
Minced garlic
Balsamic vinegar

Yoon has said "The secrets of my compote are timing and patience during the cooking process. My experience in top kitchens showed me the importance of extracting intense flavors from basic ingredients. I created my burger mindful of my lessons."

Cook bacon in a sauté pan until crisp and reserve. Over LOW heat, cook onion and garlic in butter in a large sauté pan covered until they begin to sweat. Uncover and cook slowly until lightly brown and soft. This could take a hour or two. Add vinegar and reduce until thickened. Season with salt and pepper. Add reserved bacon. Serve on top of burger.

Serves 4