Blue Cheese Burger in Paradise, with blue cheese balsamic sauce

Pairs well with:

Merlot

Get cozy and get pouring. Our Merlot is the wine for long weekends and lengthy chats.

When going to great steak houses, I always try the blue cheese salad with iceberg lettuce.

Over the years I’ve refinded my version this recipe, and now have a burger version.

I hope you enjoy it.

Allan Schwer, Bedminster, NJ

Ingredients:

Blue Cheese Balsamic Sauce:

1/2 pint grape tomatoes
1/2 clove garlic
1/4 lb. gorgonzola cheese
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons Colavita Extra virgin olive oil
4 leaves basil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper (fresh ground)

Patties:

2 1/4 lbs. ground beef, chuck (80% lean)
3/4 lb. sweet italian sausage (about 4 links, casings removed)
4 scallions, white part only, finely minced
3 tablespoons Sutter Home Merlot
1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper (fresh ground)
1/8 lb. saga blue cheese
1 tablespoon Colavita extra virgin olive oil (for grill)

Toppings:

1 head iceberg lettuce
1 large beefsteak tomato, cut into 6 slices, 1/8 ” thick
12 slices proscuitto
1/8 lb. saga blue cheese
6 kaiser rolls, split

Instructions:

To make sauce combine grape tomatoes, garlic, gorgonzola cheese, balsamic vinegar, Colavita extra virgin olive oil, basil, salt, and pepper in a blender and mix for 10 seconds, set aside.

To make the patties, combine ground chuck and sausage,add in scallions, merlot, worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. DO NOT OVER MIX.
Divide into 6 portions, mold into patties, then with a tabelspoon push in the middle of pattiy to form a bowl.
Place 1/6th of the saga blue cheese in the middle of each patty, and roll outside edges in, folding patties so that the cheese is in the middle.

START GAS GRILL and heat to medium/high temperature.

Using the top half of the kaiser roll as a template, cut the lettuce around to the size of the size of the roll, also slice tomatoes to 1/8″ thick, set aside.

Brush grill with oil. Place the proscuitto on the grill, cook for 2-3 minutes, then turn over and cook for another 2 minutes, until crisp.

Reapply oil to grill, place patties on the grill and cook for 3 minutes, and then turn 45 degrees (for grill marks) 2 more minutes turn over for 2-3 minutes. Add 1/6th of the remaining saga blue cheese on top of each patties and cover grill, cook 1 more minute.
Remove from grill, place on platter, and loosely cover with foil.

To toast the rolls, brush olive oil inside the top and bottom and place on grill, cook untill golden brown.

To assemble, start with the bottom roll, top with 1 slice of proscuitto, place the pattiy on, and spread 1 tablespoon of sauce, then 1 more slice of proscuitto, add lettuce and tomato, add another tablespoon of sauce, followed by the roll on top.

ENJOY!

Makes 6 burgers

Allan Schwer, Bedminster, New Jersey