Beef and Pancetta Burgers with Roasted Red Pepper Salsa and Sun-Dried Tomato Feta

Ingredients:

Sun-Dried Tomato Feta Spread:

4 ounces feta, crumbled
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons butter, softened
2 ounces prepared sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil, drained and chopped (oil reserved)
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
¼ cup minced fresh basil
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ teaspoon cayenne

Roasted Red Pepper Salsa
2 red bell peppers, divided
2 pickled pepperocini peppers, seeded and chopped
1 red onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon cayenne

Patties Ingredients
12 ounces pancetta, finely minced
2 ½ pounds ground chuck
¼ cup minced basil
2 tablespoons chopped thyme leaves
4 green onions, thinly sliced
6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
4 ounces shredded fresh Parmesan
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
½ teaspoon cayenne

Vegetable oil for brushing on the grill rack
6 large Italian buns, split
2 cups baby spinach leaves,
6 (1/4 inch) slices Creole tomatoes

Instructions:

In a medium bowl, combine the feta cheese, cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, butter, sun-dried tomatoes, Dijon mustard, basil, garlic, cayenne, and 2 tablespoons reserved oil from the sun-dried tomatoes. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Preheat a grill to medium-high.

Place the red pepper on the open grill and roast until blackened on all sides, approximately 3-5 minutes per side. Place the roasted red pepper in a bowl or casserole with a lid, cover and let stand 10 minutes. Remove the peppers from the bowl. Peel off blackened skin and remove the stem and seeds from the peppers; discard skin, stem, and seeds. Finely chop the peppers and divide in half.

Add the second chopped pepper to a separate, medium bowl. To the bowl, add the chopped pepperocini, red onion, garlic, salt and cayenne. Combine, cover, refrigerate, and set aside until ready to use.

To make the patties, combine the minced pancetta, ground chuck, reserved roasted red pepper, basil, thyme, green onions, feta, Parmesan, garlic, salt, pepper and cayenne. With your hands or a large spoon, gently mix well, handling the meat as little as possible to prevent compacting it. Form into 6 equal-sized patties sized to fit the buns.
Brush the grill rack with vegetable oil. Place the patties on the rack, cover, and cook until the bottoms are brown, about 5 minutes. With a spatula, turn over the patties and cook an additional 4 minutes, or until cooked to your preference.
During the last few minutes of grilling, place the buns, cut side down, on the outer edges of the grill rack to toast lightly.
To assemble the burgers, spread the Sun-Dried Basil Feta Mixture over both cut sides of the buns. On each bun bottom, layer 1/3 cup spinach leaves, a slice of tomato, patty, and equal portions Roasted Red Pepper Salsa. Add the bun tops and serve.
Makes 6 burgers