Carl's Jr./Hardee's Western Bacon Cheeseburger

Preheat your oven to 220°C (425°F) with a rack in the middle position. Set the chrome wire rack inside the rimmed aluminum baking sheet and place it on the counter to the right of the stovetop for draining cooked items. Place the 12-inch seasoned carbon steel skillet on a stovetop burner over medium heat, preheating for 3 minutes until a flick of cold water beads and skitters across the pan surface immediately.

Arrange the 8 bacon strips in a single layer in the preheated skillet, working in two batches if needed to avoid overcrowding (overcrowding leads to steamed, not crispy, bacon). Cook for 4-5 minutes per side, using the stainless steel tongs to flip strips once the edges turn deep golden brown and fat renders freely. Transfer cooked bacon to the wire rack to drain excess grease; finished bacon should be crisp but not brittle, with no soft, rubbery white fat remaining.

While bacon cooks, arrange the 8 frozen breaded onion rings in a single layer on the empty section of the wire rack. Bake for 10-12 minutes at 220°C (425°F), using tongs to flip each ring once at the 6-minute mark, until the breading is deep golden brown and crunchy with no pale, soft undercooked spots. Remove from the oven and leave on the wire rack to stay crisp while cooking the beef patties.

Divide the ground chuck into four equal 150g (5.3oz) portions. Gently form each portion into a 10cm (4-inch) wide patty, roughly 1.25cm (1/2-inch) thick, taking care not to overwork or tightly pack the meat (over-packing creates tough, dense burgers). Use your thumb to press a 1.25cm (1/2-inch) deep dimple in the center of each patty to prevent bulging during cooking. Season both sides of every patty evenly with the kosher salt and coarse black pepper.

Leave 1 tbsp of rendered bacon grease in the skillet, pouring off any excess for other uses if desired. Increase stovetop heat to medium-high. Place the seasoned patties dimple-side up in the skillet, working in two batches if needed to avoid crowding. Cook for 3 minutes without moving, until the bottom edge develops a dark, caramelized mahogany crust. Use the small offset spatula to flip each patty, then immediately top each with one slice of American cheese. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes for medium doneness, verifying an internal temperature of 71°C (160°F) with the instant-read thermometer, until the cheese is fully melted and bubbling slightly at the patty edges. Transfer cooked patties to the empty section of the wire rack to rest for 1 minute.

Reduce skillet heat to medium-low. Place the split sesame seed buns cut-side down in the remaining bacon grease in the skillet. Toast for 45-60 seconds, pressing gently with the offset spatula, until the cut surface is light golden brown and slightly crisp, with no dark burnt spots. Remove toasted buns from the skillet and set on the counter near the plate for assembly.

Set one toasted bottom bun on the matte off-white ceramic dinner plate. Spread 1 tbsp of hickory BBQ sauce evenly across the cut surface of the bottom bun. Place one cheese-topped beef patty on the sauced bun, then layer two strips of crispy bacon across the patty in a crisscross pattern. Stack two crispy onion rings on top of the bacon. Spread an additional 1 tbsp of BBQ sauce on the cut surface of the top bun, then place the top bun sauce-side down on the onion rings, pressing gently to set the layers. Repeat assembly for the remaining three burgers.