BIG OL’Chili Burger

Ingredients:

Chili Sauce:
1 large sweet onion, halved and thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed or pressed
2 tablespoons Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 tablespoons Sutter Home Zinfandel
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup ketchup
2 teaspoon yellow mustard
2 teaspoon chili powder
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 (7.5 ounce) can Chili with Beans (I used Armour Lunch Bucket)

Patties:
2 pounds ground chuck
1 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoons onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon ground chili powder
1/4 teaspoons ground red pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1/4 cup olive oil for brushing grill rack and rolls
6 large onion rolls, sliced horizontally
3/4 cup sweet pickle relish
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Instructions:

Prepare a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill with a cover or preheat gas grill to medium-high temperature.

To prepare sauce: Toss onion, garlic, olive oil, wine, black pepper, and sea salt together in a large bowl. Cook onion mixture on grill, covered, in a 10-inch non-stick fire-proof skillet for 5 minutes, stir occasionally. Stir in ketchup, mustard, chili powder, ground red pepper, and canned chili, cover, move to outer edge of grill, stir occasionally, and continue to cook slowly until patties have been made. Remove from grill when patties are placed on the grill. If mixture needs additional moisture, stir in small amounts of Zinfandel.

To make patties, combine ground chuck, salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce, and cheddar cheese in a large bowl. Handling the meat as little as possible to avoid compacting it, mix well. Divide the mixture into 6 equal portions and form the portions into patties to fit the rolls. Brush the cut sides of rolls with olive oil.

When grill is ready, brush the grill rack with olive oil. Place the patties on the rack, cover, and cook turning once, until done to preference, 5 to 7 minutes on each side for medium. Remove patties to skillet with chili sauce, cover and set back on grill until rolls are toasted. Lay rolls cut side down on grill rack and lightly toast, 1 to 2 minutes.

To build burger, sprinkle 2 tablespoons pickle relish and 2 tablespoon shredded cheese on each roll bottom. Place a patty on each roll bottom, top each patty with equal portions of the Chili Sauce and then sprinkle each with equal portions of cheddar cheese. Add roll tops and enjoy.