BOLERO BURGERS WITH MANCHENGO CHEESE, BELL PEPPER AND TOMATO RELISH, AND GARLIC SAFFRON MAYONNAISE

Ingredients:

Red Bell Pepper and Tomato Relish
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
2 large tomatoes, seeded and chopped
2 red bell peppers, chopped
1/2 cup chopped Spanish sweet onion
1/2 cup pitted Spanish olives, quartered
1/2 cup golden raisins, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh oregano

Garlic Saffron Mayonnaise
6 large cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup chopped chives

Patties
2 pounds ground chuck
1 tablespoon Spanish paprika
2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoon fennel seeds, ground
2 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried ancho chile powder
1-1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/3 cup grated Spanish onion
1/2 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

2 to 3 tablespoons vegetable oil for brushing on the grill rack
6 slices Manchego cheese
6 good quality hamburger buns (seedless), split

Instructions:

To make the red bell pepper and tomato relish, stir together olive oil, sherry vinegar, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add tomatoes, bell peppers, onion, olives, raisins, and oregano. Let stand at least 15 minutes.

To make the garlic saffron mayonnaise, combine in a small bowl garlic, mayonnaise, saffron, salt, lemon juice, and chives. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside.
Prepare a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill with a cover, or preheat a gas grill to medium-high.

To make the patties, combine the ground chuck, paprika, garlic, fennel, sugar, oregano, ancho chile powder, salt and black pepper. Add in onion and parsley. Mix well to incorporate. Divide the mixture into 6 portions and form into round patties.

Brush the grill rack with vegetable 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. During the last minute of cooking, top each burger with a slice of Manchego cheese.

To assemble the burgers, place the patties on the cut bun bottoms and top with a generous amount of red bell pepper and tomato relish. Spread the cut side of each top bun half with a couple tablespoons of garlic saffron mayonnaise. Place bun tops on top of burgers. Enjoy!

Makes 6 burgers