My BBB-Basque Bar Burgers with Spanish Chorizo, Serrano Ham, Manchego Cheese and Piquillo Peppers

Pairs well with:

Cabernet Sauvignon

This rich red easily complements your homemade chicken dishes, red meats, game, and mildly seasoned pastas.

My idea is to take the various tapas ingredients that I have enjoyed, and transform them into my full fledged Spanish inspired burger.

Ingredients:

Patties

1/2 pound Spanish chorizo (smoked spicy pork sausage), casing removed

1 1/2 pounds ground chuck

1/2 cup Sutter Home Cabernet Sauvignon

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Salad Dressing

Juice of 1 lemon

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 clove garlic, minced

Vegetable oil, for brushing on the grill rack

6 slices Serrano Ham

1/2 pound Manchego cheese, coarsely grated

6 large seeded sandwich rolls, split

5 ounces baby arugula

12 thick strips piquillo peppers or roasted red peppers from jar, drained

6 tablespoons prepared fig preserves

12 wooden skewers

Instructions:

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

Cut the chorizo into 1/2-inch pieces and put them in a food processor. Pulse until the chorizo is finely chopped.

To make the patties, combine the chorizo, beef, wine, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Handling the meat as little as possible to avoid compacting it, mix well. Form the mixture into 6 equal portions to fit the rolls. Cover and keep cool until ready to grill.

To make the salad dressing, in a large bowl, add the lemon juice, sea salt, pepper, olive oil and garlic. Wisk until combined, and set aside until ready to use.

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, 4 to 5 minutes each side for medium. After flipping the patties, place a ham slice on each patty, and top with an equal portion of the cheese to melt. During the last few minutes of cooking, arrange the rolls, cut side down, on the outer edges of the rack to toast lightly.

Add the arugula to the salad dressing and toss to combine.

To assemble the burgers, cover the cut sides of the roll bottoms with an equal portion of the arugula salad. On each roll bottom place a patty, and 2 pepper strips. On the cut sides of each roll top, spread 1 tablespoon of fig preserves. Add the roll tops, cut the burgers in half, and place a wooden skewer through each burger half and serve. Makes 6 burgers