Caribbean Grilled Burgers with Pineapple Jalapeño Sauce
Ingredients
1 and 1/2 pounds of roughly ground sirloin
1/2 pound of smoked fatty ground bacon
1 garlic clove minced
2 teaspoons jerk seasoning, can be purchased at any grocery store
8 pineapple slices, pressed to get out most of the juices
2 large jalapeño peppers, sliced in half and seeded
1/3 cup of Colavita Extra Virgin Olive oil, (divided)
1 tablespoon molasses
1 large red onion sliced in 1/4-inch slices
1 large red bell pepper sliced in 1/4-inch rings, remove seeds after cutting in rings
12 slices of precooked bacon
6 slices of pepper jack cheese
6 large Kaiser Rolls split and insides brushed with olive oil
6 romaine lettuce leaves
Instructions
Preheat a gas grill to medium-high. Prior to using the grill, grease well with oil.
In a large bowl combine lightly the sirloin, ground bacon, garlic and jerk seasoning. Do not over mix. Divide into 6 equal portions and form burgers into 3/4-inch thick patties. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside.
Lay pineapple slices and jalapeño peppers on a platter. Sprinkle with olive oil. Place on grill and cook until there are nice grill marks. Remove from grill and place in blender along with the molasses. Blend well. Pour in small bowl and cover. Set aside at room temperature until ready to use.
Place patties on grill and cook for 5 minutes on each side. Sprinkle onions and red bell pepper with olive oil and place on grill with burgers. Grill veggies just a few minutes on each side, and then remove until ready to use. Sprinkle with olive oil.
With 1-2 minutes left to cook for the burgers, place pepper jack cheese on burgers and heat the precooked bacon on the grill. This will take less than a minute heat the bacon. Be careful not to burn it. Also make room to toast the insides of rolls on grill.
To assemble burgers: Start with bottom piece of bun, add one lettuce leaf, a patty with melted pepper jack cheese on it, 2 slices of crisp bacon, grilled onion, red peppers and finally 1-2 tablespoons of the pineapple/jalapeño sauce. Place roll top on and enjoy.