Fresh Herb, Marinated Oh My Gosh Burgers with a Sweet & Spicy Goat Cheese Spread

Pairs well with:

Zinfandel

Bright and full-bodied, this Zinfandel wine is a curious contradiction in tastes.

Arizona is know for its five C’s Cattle, Citrus, Copper, Cotton and Climate. While you wont find cotton or copper in my burger, this wonderfully fresh and juicy burger uses three of the C’s. Cattle are the obvious C and the citrus and climate are the other two.The climate allows us to grow many fresh herbs and vegetables. The garlic, basil, sage and chives grow like weeds in my yard and I love to experiment with new ways to use them. Citrus trees are extremely plentiful and a source of revenue for the state. You will always find a neighbor giving away their lemons, oranges and grapefruits. The other reason why this is a great local burger is that Arizona has become a marvelous melting pot of cultures. I live in a fantastic neighborhood filled with people from Italy, France, the Caribbean, Asia, Mexico and Africa. The fresh herb, marinated Oh My Gosh burger with Sweet and Spicy Goat Cheese spread was highly influenced by the real people that live next door. This burger contains a morsel of our state and a smidgen of each of our cultures.

Ingredients:

Marinade
1 cup soy sauce (not low sodium)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons Sutter Home Zinfandel
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon fresh chopped tarragon
1 tablespoon fresh chopped basil
1 tablespoon fresh chopped chives
1 teaspoon ground sage
1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
1 teaspoon pepper

Burgers
2 1/2 pounds freshly ground chuck
2 tablespoons Sutter Home Zinfandel
1 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon fresh chopped tarragon or 2 teaspoon dried tarragon
1 tablespoon fresh chopped basil or 2 teaspoon dried basil
1 tablespoon fresh chopped chives or 2 teaspoon dried chives
1 teaspoon ground sage
1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
1 teaspoon pepper

Sauce
3/4 cup apricot-pineapple preserves
1/2 cup apple jelly
4 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons creamy horseradish
6 ounces soften goat cheese

6 sesame seed buns
1 bag of spring mix salad

Instructions:

Prepare a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill with a cover, or preheat a gas grill to medium-high.

In a 9×13 glass pan whisk marinade ingredients. Soy sauce, lemon juice, zinfandel, garlic, tarragon, basil, chives, sage, lemon zest and pepper. Cover with plastic and set aside.

To make the patties, combine the ground chuck, zinfandel, garlic, tarragon, basil, chives, sage, lemon zest and pepper mix well in a large bowl. Shape patties to fit the buns. Remove plastic wrap from the marinade and place patties in the marinade cover with plastic, refrigerate or put on a bed of ice and marinade for 15 minutes then turn the patties over, cover with plastic, return to refrigerator or ice and marinade for 15 minutes more.

While the patties are in the marinade prepare the sweet and spicy goat cheese spread. In a small bowl beat the soften goat cheese with a hand held mixer on medium until smooth. Add apricot-pineapple preserves, apple jelly, Dijon mustard, and creamy horseradish beat for 1-2 minutes until well blended. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate or place over a bed of ice until ready to assemble the burgers.

When the grill is ready, 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. Place the buns, cut side down, on the outer edges of the grill rack to toast lightly during the last 2 minutes of grilling.

To assemble the burgers, spread a generous amount of the sweet and spicy goat cheese spread over the cut sides of the toasted buns. On each bun bottom, place a grilled patty, followed by equal portions of the spring mix salad, add the top bun and serve.

Makes 6 burgers