Colorado Grass Fed Beef Burgers with Balsamic Glazed Western Slope Peaches, Haystack Mountain Goat Cheese and Basil Mayonnaise

Pairs well with:

Pinot Grigio

You won’t need a bouquet of flowers when you share our Pinot Grigio. This crisp wine with floral aromas is a wonderful way to make an entrance.

Beef that is pasture raised and grass finished in the Rocky Mountains is a real treat and local favorite here in Colorado.It is especially pure and soft in taste and texture and it also has health benefits that are important to the active people who live and migrate to Colorado. I like to season it simply, because the quality and flavor can really stand on it’s own. I have paired it with juicy and sweet peaches from the Western Slope, another Colorado favorite. The burger is topped with local goat cheese made by award winning cheese makers at Haystack Mountain. The sweetness of the peaches highlight the sweet notes in the beef, and the goat cheese balances that with a little tang and also adds some richness. Basil mayonnaise and sweet, tender butter lettuce finish it off and can be found at so many of our local organic farmer’s markets – or you can grow your own! This burger is satisfying and flavorful, but it is also light and health minded. It is the perfect Colorado meal!

Ingredients:

3 organic freestone Colorado Western Slope Peaches, firm but ripe
4 T balsamic vinegar
1 T canola oil
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 cup good quality prepared mayonnaise
1/2 cup fresh organic basil leaves
juice of half a lemon
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 lbs freshly ground Colorado grass fed beef (80-20 meat/fat ratio)
2-3 tsp kosher salt
1-2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
canola oil for brushing grill rack
6 generous T Haystack Mountain goat cheese, softened
6 soft egg hamburger buns (large size)
12 bun sized leaves of organic butter or bib lettuce

Instructions:

Preheat a gas grill to medium-high.

Prepare the peaches by rinsing them in hot water water and gently peel back the skin with a knife or vegetable peeler. Cut the peaches into equal halves, removing the pit. Place the peaches in a dish, such as a pie plate, and pour the balsamic vinegar, canola oil, salt and pepper over the top. Gently turn the peaches to coat. Cover and place in fridge to marinate for 20-30 minutes, turning once.

Make the basil mayonnaise by combining the prepared mayonnaise, basil leaves, juice of the lemon, salt and pepper in a small food processor and pulse until combined and smooth. Scoop mixture into a bowl, cover and chill.

Take the beef out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature for 10-15 minutes. Handling the meat as little as possible to avoid compacting it, divide the beef into 6 equal portions and form into patties to fit the buns. Make a few indentations with your finger in the center on one side of each patty which will help the patty stay even and flat while cooking. Season each side generously with the salt and pepper.

When the grill is ready, carefully brush the grill rack with canola oil. Place the marinated peach halves on the grill rack and cook for 1-2 minutes on each side or until grill marks appear and they look caramelized. While the peaches are grilling, brush them with any remaining marinade from the dish. Be careful to only turn the peaches once so they maintain their shape. Remove the peaches and let cool briefly before slicing. Clean and brush the grill rack with oil again and place the patties on the rack, (indentation side up first) cover, and cook, turning once, until done to preference, about 4 minutes on each side for medium-rare. A good sign to look for before flipping the patties are the juices that will begin to pool on the surface of the patty. While the patties are cooking, slice the peaches into about 1/4 inch cross sections so that the slices are circular shaped, much like a tomato slice in appearance (they stack on top of the patty easiest this way). During the last 1-2 minutes of grilling, spread about 1 T of the softened goat cheese on each patty to warm (you only need a small amount because it is a tangy cheese and too much overwhelms the flavor of the peaches). While the cheese is warming, place the buns on the outer edges of the grill rack to toast lightly.

To assemble the burgers, spread about 1 T of basil mayonnaise on each side of the buns. Place 2 leaves of butter lettuce on the bottom bun. Top with a patty and shingle an equal portion of the sliced peaches on top, using a full half peach per burger. Add the top bun and serve immediately.