Goat Cheese & Basil Stuffed Burger With Blackberry Cabernet BBQ Sauce & Crispy Onion Strings

Ingredients​

Blackberry Cabernet BBQ Sauce:

  • 1⁄2 Onion, finely chopped​
  • 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 3 Cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1⁄2 Jalapeño, seeded and chopped​
  • 1 Pinch salt, or to taste
  • 1 Pinch pepper, or to taste​
  • 1 Cup blackberries (fresh or frozen)​
  • 1⁄2 Cup Cabernet Sauvignon
  • 1⁄3 Cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1 3⁄8 Tablespoons white sugar​​
  • 1⁄4 Cup ketchup​​
  • 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 Tablespoon honey

Burger:

  • 3 Pounds ground beef (80/20)
  • 1 Jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
  • 3 Cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1⁄2 Teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 Teaspoon salt
  • 6 Whole grain Brioche buns, buttered and toasted

Goat Cheese Mixture:

  • 12 Ounces crumbled goat cheese
  • 2 Tablespoons basil, chopped

Crispy Onion Strings:

  • 1 Large onion (or two small), thinly sliced
  • 1 Cup self-rising flour
  • Oil for frying (enough to create a 1” deep layer on the bottom of your pan)

Instructions​

  1. For the BBQ Sauce, sauté the chopped onion in oil until softened, about 4 to 5 minutes​
  2. Add jalapeño, garlic, blackberries and Cabernet Sauvignon and cook until the berries have softened, about 3 to 4 minutes​
  3. Drizzle cloves with olive oil, wrap them in foil, place on a pie plate and “bake” in an enclosed grill for about 30 to 40 minutes until the cloves are lightly browned and soft – then allow the garlic to cool enough to handle without getting burned​
  4. Use a blender or an immersion blender and blend until smooth
  5. Force the sauce through a strainer to separate the seeds and set strained sauce aside
  6. For the burger, combine all patty ingredients by hand in a large bowl until fully incorporated and form into 6 portions
  7. Take each portion, divide it in half, and shape each half into a very thin burger patty
  8. For the cheese mixture, mix goat cheese and chopped basil together in a bowl
  9. To form the burgers, take two tablespoons of the goat cheese mixture and place between two thin burger patties, sealing the edges
  10. Grill the stuffed burgers on a grill or a cast iron grill pan until the internal temp of the patties is 140 Fahrenheit or 160 for well-done burgers
  11. Butter the buns and toast them slightly on the grill
  12. To make the onion strings, first heat oil for frying to 375 degrees Fahrenheit
  13. Toss self-rising flour and thinly sliced onion in a plastic bag and shake to coat onions completely, then fry in batches for 2 to 3 minutes until golden brown and crispy
  14. To build the burger, place the cooked burger on top of the toasted buttered whole grain brioche bun on the bottom, add Blackberry Cabernet BBQ sauce, then pile the crispy onion strings, finish with the top bun and serve with a glass of Sutter Homes Fruit Infusions Wild Berry