Crank It Up A Notch Burgers Topped with Melted Gruyere Cheese

Ingredients

PATTIES:
1)1 3/4 (1.75)pound ground chuck
2)2 1/2 Tablespoons + 2 ½ teaspoons Chilpotle Adobo Sauce – 2 1/2 Tablespoons for patties and 2 ½ teaspoons for sauce. (Comes in a 7.5 ounce can in several different brands. I used San Marcos Brand Chilpotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce).
3)1 chilpotle pepper, chopped very fine (from the above can).
4)2 cloves fresh garlic, crushed.
5)1/2 cup onion, chopped medium fine.
6) 1 cup Ore-Ida Country Cheesy Hash Browns (or similar brand), thawed 5 minutes, just so the potatoes are not clumped frozen together.
7)1 teaspoon salt (regular table salt).

SAUCE:
8)1/2 cup Mayonnaise
**2 1/2 teaspoons Chilpotle Adobo Sauce (already listed in ingredient #2 above).
9)1/2 teaspoon chili powder

REMAINING INGREDIENTS TO BE USED DURING AND AFTER GRILLING:
10) 5 1 ounce wedges Gyuere Cheese (I use 6 ounce package Tiger Brand, firm texture, Switzerland Gruyere containing 6 wedges).
11) 6 soft whole grain hamburger buns, split.
12) 6 romaine lettuce leaves, approximately 4 ½ inches in diameter each.
13) 6 large tomato slices (1/4 inch thick).
14) Garlic Sea Salt (1-2 turns from a grinder per hamburger).
15) Black Peppercorn (1 turn from a grinder per hamburger)
16) 3 Tablespoons Ketchup (1/2 Tablespoon per hamburger).

 

Instructions

The directions below are for grilling using a Weber 22 1/2” gas light charcoal grill.
1.Open all vents.
2.Heap about 50 charcoal briquets in the charcoal dividers (25 briquets in each divider) to prepare a medium-hot fire.
3.Ignite charcoal (approximately 5 minutes), then turn OFF gas supply.
4. Put hinged cooking grate in place. (If using a gas grill, brush grill rack with vegetable oil before cooking meat).

TO MAKE PATTIES
In a large bowl combine the ground chuck, 2 ½ Tablespoons Chilpotle Adobo Sauce (set aside remaining 2 ½ teaspoons of Chilpotle Sauce for later use), Chilpotle pepper, garlic, onion, hash browns and 1 teaspoon regular table salt. Mix gently.
Use a one cup size Rubbermaid plastic top that is 5” in diameter and a 12” x 12” piece of Suran Wrap placed in the plastic top as a hamburger mold. Eye ball the mixture of meat and divide it into 6 equal handfuls or balls of meat. Place a ball of meat in the “hamburger mold” and flatten it out to the edges to make a perfectly round pattie. After forming each pattie, place it on a plate and cover with suran wrap to keep fresh. Refrigerate meat until ready to grill.

TO MAKE CRANK IT UP SAUCE:
In a small bowl combine mayonnaise, 2 ½ teaspoons Chilpotle Adobo Sauce, and chili powder. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

GRILLING:
When briquets have a light coating of grey ash or about 80% white (approximately 25-30 minutes), grilling can be started. Remove patties from refrigerator and place meat directly over coals to sear, then move meat to the perimeter of the cooking grate. Close lid and cook on first side for about 7 minutes. Open lid, turn patties, and sear over coals. Move meat to perimeter of cooking grate. Cover with lid and cook another 8-9 minutes, until no longer pink. Open lid, lay 6 strips of Gruyere cheese on each hamburger. Place hamburger buns, cut side down, on the outer edges of the grill rack to toast lightly. Close lid and set timer for 2 minutes or until cheese is melted.
To assemble each burger, lay 1 lettuce leaf on the cut side of the bun top, with uncut side of bun touching the plate. Place a tomato slice on top of the lettuce. Place the cooked hamburger pattie on the cut side of each bun bottom. Use 1-2 turns of sea salt and 1 turn of black pepper on top of cheese on each burger.
When guests are ready to eat, they can pick up top bun, turn it over allowing tomato and lettuce to fall onto the cheese/burger. Spread ½ Tablespoon Ketsup and ½ Tablespoon Crank It Up Sauce on the top bun. Lay top bun on lettuce/tomato and take a big bite. Enjoy your CRANK IT UP A NOTCH BURGER TOPPED WITH MELTED GRUYERE CHEESE!!!!

Submitted and written by:

Janet Ruggles
708 Minkin Drive
Traverse City, Michigan 49684
(231) 275-3050
[email protected]