Hearty Cheese Burger

Pairs well with:

Zinfandel

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

Ingredients

2 pounds of Ground Chuck (24% fat)
5 tablespoons of Sutter Home Zinfandel Wine
3 small Roma Tomatoes (roasted with olive oil and diced)
1 small Vidalia (Sweet) Onion (roasted with olive oil and diced)
3 small Garlic Cloves (roasted with olive oil and diced)
1/4 cup of Italian Parsley (chopped)
1/4 small Green Pepper (roasted with olive oil and diced)
2 teaspoons of Kosher Salt
2 teaspoons of Freshly Ground Black Pepper
2 tablespoons of Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 sup of shredded provolone cheese
1 teaspoon of yellow mustard
2 tablespoons of mayonnaise
1 tablespoon of diced drained pimentos
2 tablespoons of almonds (roasted and crushed)
3 tablespoons of ketchup
3 tablespoons of Grey Poupon Dijon Mustard
2 tablespoons of honey
2 tablespoons of Italian Parsley (diced)
2 large tomatoes (6 thin large middle section slices)
6 small leaves of Boston lettuce
6 Kaiser rolls (split)

 

Instructions

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

To make the patties, in a bowl combine the ground beef and the Sutter Home Zinfandel wine and set aside.

Then, in a separate bowl combine the tomatoes, onion garlic, parsley, green pepper, salt, black pepper and olive oil. Mix well and then combine by gently folding in with the meat with the Sutter House Zinfandel wine. Ensure handling of the patties as little as possible to avoid compacting, mix well. Divide the mixture into 6 equal portions and form the portions into patties to fit the buns.

When the grill is ready, brush the grill rack with vegetable oil prior to adding the patties. Place the patties on the rack, cover and cook, turning once, about 6 – 9 minutes on each side.

While the patties are cooking, mix the cheddar, provolone, mustard, mayonnaise and almonds together. Equally divide into 6 equal portions. During the last few minutes of cooking add the equally divided cheese mixture to the top of each pattie. Then place the buns, cut side down, on the outer edges of the rack to toast lightly. Close the lid and monitor to ensure proper cooking.

To make the Hearty Cheese Burger (HCB) Dressing, combine the ketchup, mustard, honey and parsley into a bowl and whisk well.

To assemble the burgers, brush the bottom and top side of the buns with the HCB dressing, place the hot patties with melted cheese on top of each bottom bun, add the tomatoes, then add the HCB dressing and then add the two leaves of lettuce to each burger. Top each burger with the top portion of the bun. Serve while hot!

Makes 6 burgers