Oregon Rainy Day Burger

Pairs well with:

Cabernet Sauvignon

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

There is always a longing for summer as the cool days linger long into
June. This is a burger that is great any time of year as it is very hearty.

Ingredients:

Ingredients:

Skewers
3 tbs Olive Oil
3 tsps Italian Seasonings
1 1/2 tsps Black Pepper
3 tsps Soy Sauce
6 slices 1/4″ thick sliced Applewood bacon or other thick sliced
bacon
18 Small to medium sized Cremini Mushrooms, rinsed and
stems removed
6 10″ Bamboo Skewers, which have been soaked in water

Sauce
3 tbs Sutter Home Cabernet Sauvignon
1 1/2 tbs Olive Oil
3 1/2 ozs Cream Cheese, not light
6 cloves Garlic, peeled and minced
1 1/2 tbs Hot prepared Cream Horseradish
4 1/2 tbs Soy Sauce
3 tbs Dijon Mustard
1 1/2 cups Crumbled Gorgonzola Cheese
Flame resistant pan, such as an aluminum pie tin

Burgers
6 tbs Sutter Home Cabernet Sauvignon
1 1/2 tbs Italian Seasonings
3 tbs Worcestershire Sauce
3 tbs Soy Sauce
3 tbs Dijon Mustard
3 packets “Savory Choice” Beef Liquid Broth Concentrate
3 lbs Ground Beef with 16% fat

1 Whole Sweet White Onion, medium large in size

6 tbs Prepared Basil Pesto

6 Oro-wheat Onion Hamburger Buns, or other burger buns

1 1/2 tbs ea Sea Salt and Black Pepper

Olive Oil for drizzling the onions and skewers, plus more for brushing the grill

Instructions:

Complete Step-By-Step Cooking Instructions:

Prepare a medium hot charcoal grill with a lid, or pre-heat a gas grill to medium high.

For the Skewers, combine the first 4 ingredients in a bowl large enough to hold the mushrooms. Whisk to blend. Add mushrooms and stir to coat with mixture. Let marinate while preparing the sauce and burgers.

For the Sauce, combine the first 7 ingredients. Reserve the crumbled Gorgonzola cheese. Stir or whisk to blend. Pour into a flame resistant pan.

For the Burgers, combine the first 6 ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk to blend. Add the ground beef and gently knead until all of the seasonings are absorbed by the beef. Divide into 6 equal portions and flatten each into round patties.

Peel the onion and cut off the ends. Using a sharp knife, cut 6 whole slices, approximately 1/4 ” thick, from the center portion of the onion. Remove the outer rings from the slices. Turn each onion slice so the rings will not drop out, and press one slice into each patty. Bring the sides of the burgers around the edges of the onion to secure the onion. Drizzle each onion with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

To assemble a skewer, begin with the end of a strip of bacon. Leave the bacon strip whole. Thread the end of the bacon strip onto the bamboo skewer. Add a mushroom and weave the bacon between the mushrooms, 3 mushrooms per skewer. Repeat with the other 5 skewers. Drizzle with olive oil.

When the skewers are assembled, place them on the grill for 15 minutes, turning frequently to let the bacon get crisp. Move to the side if they start to burn.

While the skewers cook, place the bottom halves of the buns around the skewers and lightly grill, but do not burn. Remove when toasted. Spread the toasted bottom halves of the buns with the prepared pesto.

When the skewers are done, remove them from the grill. Brush the grill with olive oil. Place the burgers on the grill meat side down, and cook for 4 minutes. Turn the burgers over to the onion side and grill another 5 minutes.

While the burgers cook, disassemble the skewers. Cut each bacon slice in half and slice the mushrooms into 3 to 5 pieces each. Keep the contents of each skewer separate so the mushrooms will be evenly distributed among the burgers.

When the burgers are done, remove them from the grill and place on each of the pesto coated buns, onion side up.

Place the sauce pan on the grill and arrange the top halves of the buns around the pan. Lightly toast the buns and remove. Stir the sauce until bubbling.

Remove the sauce from the grill and stir in the reserved Gorgonzola cheese.

To assemble, place both halves of the bacon slices on each burger. Top with Gorgonzola sauce and add the sliced mushrooms. Top with the upper halves of the buns and serve.