Aloha Burger with Guava Barbeque Sauce

Ingredients

1 cup bottled barbeque sauce, such as Sweet Baby Ray’s
1/3 cup guava jelly
1/4 cup honey
2 Tbsp. Colavita Aged White Wine Vinegar
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1-17 oz. can pineapple slices, in juice: Drain and reserve 2 Tbsp. juice, set aside 6 pineapple slices
1 lb. ground chuck
1/2 lb. ground sirloin
2 Tbsp. bottled Italian dressing
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. freshly ground pepper
6 slices smoked bacon (not thick slice)
12 toothpics, soaked in water
Vegetable oil, for brushing grill rack
6 sesame seed hamburger buns, split

 

Instructions

To make the sauce, in a small, flame proof saucepan, whisk together barbeque sauce, guava jelly, honey, Colavita Aged White Wine Vinegar, lemon juice, and the 2 Tbsp. reserved pineapple juice. Reserve 1/4 cup of the sauce and set the saucepan aside for later use. Spread the 1/4 cup reserved sauce in the bottom of a 9×13 inch Pyrex dish and set the dish aside while you make the burgers.

To make the burgers, combine and mix lightly the ground chuck, ground sirloin, Italian dressing, salt, and freshly ground pepper. Shape into 6 burgers, about 1/2 inch thick, taking care not to compact burgers. Press 1 slice of the reserved pineapple slices into the top of each burger. Wrap 1 slice of bacon around the sides of each burger and secure with 2 toothpicks, one on each side of the burger. Place the burgers, pineapple side up. In the Pyrex dish which contains the 1/4 cup of the sauce. From the saucepan, using 1 Tbsp. of sauce on each burger, baste the burgers. Place the dish of burgers into the refrigerator and marinate for 1 hour.

Pre-heat a gas grill to medium-high.

When grill is hot, put the saucepan of remaining sauce onto a medium hot grill and reduce until thickened slightly, about 5 minutes. Keep the sauce warm until time to assemble the burgers. After burgers have marinated for 1 hour, remove the dish of burgers from the refrigerator.

Oil the grill rack.

Remove the burgers from the dish and place the burgers on the oiled grill rack, pineapple side down, and grill 5 minutes. Turn the burgers and grill for 5 to 7 additonal minutes, or until medium-well and the bacon is crisp.

While burgers are grilling, place the buns, cut side down, around the edges of the grill and toast until golden. Remove buns and set aside until burgers are ready. Remove burgers from the grill and place, pineapple side up, on the cut and toasted side of the bun bottoms. Spread some of the reserved, thickened sauce on top of the burgers. Put the bun top on the burgers, sesame side up and serve.