EIEIO Burger

Ingredients

Ingredients

Pickled Red Onions:

½ cup red wine vinegar
½ cup cold water
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon Kosher salt
2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 large red onion, halved and very thinly sliced

Horseradish Dressing:

3/4 cup mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
1/4 cup drained prepared horseradish

12 slices thick-cut Applewood smoked bacon

Patties:

2 pounds freshly ground chuck
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup grated sweet onion, like Texas 1015 or Vidalia
1⁄4 cup Sutter Homes White Cabernet Sauvignon Wine
2 tablespoons Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce
2 teaspoons Kosher Salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Vegetable oil, for brushing on the grill rack
1/2 pound wedge of Farmer’s Cheese, thinly sliced
4 Tablespoons olive oil
6 bun size potato rolls, split
1 bunch Watercress, washed, dried and large stems removed and discarded
6 – 1/4 inch slices heirloom or beefsteak tomato (vine ripened)

Instructions

Preheat a gas grill to medium-high, or prepare a medium hot fire in a charcoal grill.

To prepare the pickled red onions, in a medium bowl, whisk together the red wine vinegar, water, sugar, salt and lime juice (the pickling mixture). Allow mixture to sit until the sugar and salt dissolve completely, about 5 minutes. Peel and halve the onion, then cut the onion into very thin slices, (about 1/8 inch thick). Add the onion slices to the pickling mixture and mix well. Cover and set aside.

To make the Horseradish dressing, in a small bowl stir together the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard and prepared horseradish. Cover and refrigerate until serving.

When the grill is ready, cook the bacon in a large, heavy, nonstick, fire-proof skillet until crisp, about 8 to 10 minutes, turning frequently. Remove onto paper towels to drain. Wrap in aluminum foil to keep warm and set aside.

To make the patties, in a large bowl gently combine the ground chuck, minced garlic, grated sweet onions, white Cabernet Sauvignon wine, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper, handling as little as possible so as not to compact the meat. Divide the mixture into 6 equal parts and form into patties sized to fit the buns, pressing an indentation in the center of each patty. Place the patties in a single layer on a cooking tray. Wrap loosely with plastic wrap and set aside.

Brush the grill rack with vegetable oil. Place the patties on the rack and cook, turning once, until done to preference, about 5 to 7 minutes per side for medium.
During the last 3 minutes of grilling, place an equal potion of the Farmer’s Cheese slices on each patty to melt. During the last two minutes of grilling the patties, brush olive oil on the cut sides of the buns and place the buns, cut side down, on the outer edges of the grill rack to lightly toast.

To assemble the burgers, drain the pickled red onions well. Spread the toasted sides of the bun tops generously with the Horseradish Mayonnaise. On each bun bottom, add a generous portion of
Watercress, a cheese-topped patty, a slice of tomato, an equal portion of pickled red onions, and 2 pieces of bacon. Add the bun tops and serve immediately. Enjoy!

Yields 6 burgers

Janice Heimerman – Alvarado, Texas