Bayou La Batre Blues Burger (Resubmitted with a correction)

Pairs well with:

Sauvignon Blanc

With hints of passion fruit, melon, and citrus, this wine beckons you to kick back and find a perfect porch swing.

Ingredients

Bayou La Blue Mayo:

3/4 Cup Mayonnaise
8 ounces Treasure Cove crumbled Blue Cheese
2 teaspoons Colavita Aged Red Wine Vinegar

Bayou Barbecue Sauce:

1 cup ketchup
1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 cloves minced garlic
2 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
2 Tablespoons Lea & Perrins Worcestershire
2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
2 Tablespoons Honey

Bayou Bacon:

12 thick-cut slices Applewood Smoked Bacon

Bayou Garlic Butter:

1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, crushed

Barbecued Sweet Onions:

6 thin metal skewers
3 (1/2 inch) large sweet onion slices

La Batre Patties:

2 pounds freshly ground chuck
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup grated sweet onion, like Texas 1015 or Vidalia
1⁄4 cup Bayou Barbeque Sauce
2 teaspoons Kosher Salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Vegetable oil, for brushing on the grill rack
6 wheat hamburger buns, split
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
1 bunch Watercress, washed, dried and large stems removed and discarded

 

Instructions

Preheat a gas grill to medium-high, or prepare a medium hot fire in a charcoal grill.

To prepare the Bayou La Blue Mayo, in a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, crumbled Blue Cheese, and red wine vinegar. Mix well, cover and refrigerate until serving.

To prepare the Bayou Barbecue Sauce, in a medium, heavy duty, fire-proof, non-stick saucepan, combine the ketchup, dark brown sugar, minced garlic, apple cider vinegar, soy sauce, Worcestershire Sauce, Dijon Mustard, and Honey, and cook, stirring frequently until the sauce thickens slightly (about 10 minutes). Remove from heat, cover and set aside. Reserve about ½ cup of the barbecue sauce to drizzle on the finished burgers.

When the grill is ready, cook the bacon in a large, heavy, nonstick, fire-proof skillet until crisp, about 8 to 10 minutes, turning frequently. Remove onto paper towels to drain. Wrap in aluminum foil to keep warm and set aside.

To prepare the Bayou Garlic Butter, place the unsalted butter in a small saucepan and place on the grill rack until the butter melts, stirring occasionally. Add the crushed garlic, stir, and simmer for 5 minutes. Cover and move to an outer edge of the grill to keep warm.

Carefully thread two metal skewers through each onion slice. Brush Bayou Barbecue Sauce on both sides of the onions and place them on the grill. Grill, basting with the Barbecue Sauce and turning occasionally until the onions are tender and glazed, about 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from grill, remove the skewers, separate the barbecued onions into rings, and wrap them in aluminum foil to keep warm.

To make the patties, in a large bowl gently combine the ground chuck, minced garlic, grated sweet onions, Bayou Barbecue Sauce, salt and pepper, handling as little as possible so as not to compact the meat. Divide the mixture into 6 equal parts and form into patties sized to fit the buns, pressing an indentation in the center of each patty.

Brush the grill rack with vegetable oil. Brush both sides of the patties with the Bayou Barbecue Sauce. Place the patties on the rack and cook, turning once, until done to preference, about 5 to 7 minutes per side for medium. During the last few minutes of grilling the patties, brush the garlic butter on the cut sides of the buns. Sprinkle generously with the grated Parmesan Cheese, lightly pressing the Parmesan Cheese onto the cut surfaces of the buns. Place the buns, cut side down, on the outer edges of the grill rack to lightly toast. Remove the patties and buns when done.

To assemble the burgers, spread the top halves of the toasted buns generously with the Bayou La Blue Mayo. On each toasted bun bottom, drizzle some of the reserved Bayou Barbecue Sauce and add a generous portion of Watercress, a patty, an equal portion of the barbecued sweet onions and 2 pieces of bacon. Add the bun tops and serve immediately. Bon Appétit!