Barcelona Sliders With Roasted Red Peppers, Caramelized Onions and Pimiento-Garlic Mayo

My great-grandfather was from Catalonia, Spain, so I wanted to create a burger recipe that reflected my heritage and captured classic Spanish flavors. One of my favorite things to do with my husband is to go to the tapas bar for wine and Spanish food. The garlicky chorizo, anchovy-stuffed olives, manchego cheese and roasted red peppers in these burgers remind me of tapas we’ve tried over the years, but the best part is that these burgers go great with wine! I chose to make them into sliders to go along with the tapas theme of small portions — these are great for nibbling and sharing with friends.

Ingredients:

For the roasted red peppers:

2 medium red bell peppers

For the caramelized onions:

2 large Spanish onions, thinly sliced
2 tbsp Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tbsp butter
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp brown sugar

For the pimiento-garlic mayo

1-2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup pimiento peppers (from a jar), drained
2 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1 cup Hellman’s Mayonnaise

For the patties:

2 lb ground chuck
2/3 cup Spanish chorizo, casing removed, diced
1/3 cup anchovy-stuffed Spanish olives (such as Goya brand), drained and chopped
1/3 cup raisins
2 tbsp Sutter Home Zinfandel
2 tsp garlic, finely minced
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp cumin
2 eggs

vegetable oil (for brushing on the grill rack)
1/2 lb manchego cheese, thinly sliced
2 cups (packed) baby arugula leaves, rinsed and dried
18 small, soft dinner rolls (such as King’s Hawaiian)

Instructions:

Preheat a gas grill to high one one side, medium-high on the other.

To make the roasted red peppers: Cook whole red peppers over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until the skin has blackened and blistered (about 20 minutes). Remove from heat and place peppers in a paper bag, seal, and allow to cool. Once cool, peel off skin, remove core and seeds, and slice into thin strips. Set aside.

To make the caramelized onions: Set a large, heavy, flameproof frying pan on the other side of the grill over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and butter. When butter melts, add sliced onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft and golden brown, approximately 20-30 minutes. (You may need to move the pan off the heat or reduce the heat to medium-low on this side of the grill to keep the onions from burning). Add brown sugar, salt, and pepper and cook for a further 5 minutes. Cover with foil and set aside.

To make the pimiento-garlic mayo: Place garlic cloves in a small food processor and process until finely minced. Add pimiento, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and parsley and pulse until well mixed. Add mayonnaise and pulse until just combined. Set aside.

To make the patties: In a large bowl, combine the ground chuck, chorizo, olives, Sutter Home Zinfandel, garlic, pepper, paprika, cumin, and eggs. Mix with hands until just combined, then divide into 18 equal portions of approximately 1/4 cup each. Form each portion into a small patty.

Brush preheated grill rack with vegetable oil. Place the patties over medium-high heat and cover, cooking for 3-4 minutes or until browned on the bottom. Flip patties and cook for a further 2-3 minutes or until cooked through. Place sliced manchego cheese on each patty for the last couple of minutes of cooking to allow cheese to melt.

During the last few minutes of cooking, place split rolls, cut side down, around the outer edges of the grill rack until lightly toasted.

To assemble the sliders: Spread the cut side of each roll with pimiento-garlic mayo. On each roll bottom, place a few baby arugula leaves, a patty, a spoonful of caramelized onions and a few roasted red pepper strips. Add the roll tops and serve warm.