Beyond the Best Bloody Mary Burgers
Ingredients:
2 pints cherry tomatoes
10 medium size un-peeled garlic cloves
3 medium size celery stalks, each cut into 3-crosswise pieces
2 tablespoons Colavita extra virgin oil
3 teaspoons sea salt, divided
1 teaspoon black pepper, divided
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons vodka
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
1 teaspoon Tabasco hot sauce
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
2 pounds fresh ground beef(15% fat)
1/3 cup drained chopped pimento stuffed green olives
1/3 cup chopped red onion
2 tablespoons Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce
6 Kaiser rolls, split
6 red leaf lettuce leaves, trimmed to fit burgers
Instructions:
Preheat a standard grill to medium-high direct heat. Place tomatoes, garlic and celery onto a medium rimmed baking sheet then drizzle with the oil. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper then toss to coat; spread mixture out on baking sheet. Place baking sheet on grill rack then cover with grill lid and roast mixture for 25 minutes stirring half way through roasting time. Discard celery then squeeze garlic into food processor. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, vodka, horeseradish, hot sauce and celery seed, puree until smooth scraping sides if needed then set aside. Maintain medium-high grill.
In a large bowl mix together the ground beef, olives, onion, Worcestershire sauce, remaining salt and pepper. Divide into 6 portions then form each portion into patties. Grill patties turning once until temperature reaches 160F about 5 minutes per side. During the last minute of grilling toast rolls cut side down on the outer edge of grill rack.
To serve spread tomato mixture onto cut side of roll tops. Set a beef patty onto each roll bottom then top with lettuce leaf and cover with roll top. Serves 6