Muffaletta Burgers with Olive Salad

The muffaletta sandwich is a staple of New Orleans and its culture.This robust burger blends the base of the muffaletta sandwich; olive salad, Genoa salami, prosciutto, and provolone cheese to a jazzed up hamburger creating an explosion of flavor. I graduated from LSU Baton Rouge and still enjoy visiting New Orleans and LSU in the Fall on Saturday nights to support the Fightin’ TIGERS.

Ingredients:

Olive Salad

¾ cup pimiento-stuffed green olives
¾ cup black olives
¼ cup red onion
¼ cup roasted red bell pepper (bottled)
¼ cup fresh parsley
1 tablespoon garlic — minced
¼ teaspoon oregano
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
½ cup Colavita extra-virgin olive oil

Muffaletta Burgers

2 pounds fresh ground chuck
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon Tabasco Chipotle Sauce
1 tablespoon Colavita extra virgin olive oil

Vegetable oil, for brushing the grill rack
6 Kaiser Rolls, split
12 thin slices Genoa salami (3″ round; at grocery deli)
12 thin slices prosciutto (cut into 3″ square; at grocery deli)
6 slices provolone cheese
6 Romaine lettuce leaves

Instructions:

Directions
Prepare a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill with a cover, or preheat a gas grill to medium-high.
To prepare olive salad, coarsely chop olives, onion, red peppers, and parsley; place olive mixture in large bowl and stir in remaining ingredients (garlic through olive oil). Refrigerate prior to use on the burgers.
To make the patties, combine the chuck, garlic, salt, pepper, Tabasco Chipotle, and olive oil into a large bowl. Mix well and handle the meat as little as possible. Divide the mixture into 6 equal portions and form into patties to fit the Kaiser rolls. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside.
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, approximately 5 to 7 minutes on each side for medium. Place 2 each of salami and prosciutto overlapping on eachburger and top with provolone cheese slices on the patties during the last 3 minutes of grilling. Place Kaiser rolls on the outer edges of the rack to toast lightly, approximately two minutes. Remove the burgers and buns from the heat.
To assemble to burgers, place romaine leaves on Kaiser Roll bottom followed by a Muffaletta Burger and 2 heaping tablespoons of olive salad. Add the Kaiser Roll top and serve. Makes 6 burgers.