Might Be Too Much Pepper, but I Don’t Care Peppercorn Brie Burger

Ingredients

Wine Soaked Grilled Pears
5 large Bartlett pears (ripe, but still firm)
1 750ml bottle Sutter Home Moscato
Encrusting
1 cup peppercorn medley (black, white, green & pink peppercorns whole)
Patties
2 pounds ground round (80-85% lean)
2 tablespoons garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup Vidalia onion, minced
2 tablespoons Grey Poupon Country Dijon
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons fresh ground pepper
Kosher salt
Vegetable oil, for brushing on the grill rack
1 wheel Baby Brie, rind removed and sliced to fit patties
6 Kaiser rolls, split
3 cups baby spinach

Instructions

To prepare pears, wash pears and cut in half lengthwise (from top to bottom). Remove the core and any stems. Slice lengthwise getting about 2 whole slices from each half. Place pears in a bowl or shallow dish and cover with Moscato. Set aside, allowing pears to soak for 15-30 minutes. Prepare the peppercorns, use a food processor or small coffee grinder to coarsely chop. Short pulses will give you a coarse chop and will help keep the peppercorns from getting too fine. Set aside. Preheat a gas grill to medium-high heat. To prepare the patties, combine the ground round, garlic, onion, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Mix well, but handle the meat as little as possible to avoid compacting it. Divide the mixture into 6 equal portions and form patties that are slightly larger than the size of the rolls. Place peppercorns on a plate and dip one side of the patty into the peppercorns pressing down slightly to allow them to stick. Season both sides of patty with kosher salt. When the grill is ready, brush the rack with vegetable oil. Place patties on the grill with the peppercorn side down, cover and cook, turning once, 4 to 5 minutes on each side for medium rare. Directly after patties are placed on grill, remove pears from wine and place on outer edges of grill, cover and cook, turning once, check at 3 to 4 minutes. Pears should have golden brown grill marks, watch carefully so that they don’t burn. During the last 2 minutes of patties cooking time put brie on and cover allowing the cheese to soften. Directly after putting on the cheese, remove the pears from grill and lay flat on a plate and set aside. Place the buns on the outer edges of the grill, split side down to toast lightly. To assemble burgers, on the bottom roll put 1/2 cup spinach, 2 to 3 slices of grilled pear (enough to cover the bottom), a patty and to finish the top roll. Serve and enjoy! Makes 6 burgers.