Piacenza Burgers with Grilled Olivada, Pancetta and Basil Mayonnaise

I have been experimenting with several different grilled items this summer. One experiment led me to find that grilled olives are quite delicious! I wanted to create a fun, new “tapenade” type mixture using the grilled olives. It made a delectable spread, especially on focaccia bread.

Ingredients:

Grilled Red Pepper Olivada:

1cup Black Italian Olives, pitted

½ cup Green Italian Olives, pitted

2 Red Bell Peppers, trimmed and halved

2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 Flat Anchovy Fillets

2 teaspoons Fresh Lemon Juice

2 teaspoons Fresh Lemon Zest

2 tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar

1 teaspoon Cracked Black Pepper

½ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

¼ cup Italian Parsley

Patties:

2 ½ pounds Ground Beef Chuck

½ cup Spicy Italian Sausage, casing removed

3 Garlic Cloves, minced

1 ½ teaspoons Salt

1 ½ teaspoons Cracked Black Pepper

Basil Mayonnaise:

1cup Mayonnaise

15 Basil Leaves, finely chopped

½ pound Pancetta, thinly sliced

Oil for brushing the grill

1 ½ cup Fresh Mozzarella, sliced

6 4×4 inch Pieces Focaccia Bread, split

2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/2 cup Sun-dried Tomatoes in Olive Oil, drained

Instructions:

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

To make the olivada:

Place black and green olives on bamboo skewers and toss both peppers and olives with olive oil before placing on the grill. Grill until red peppers are slightly charred around 2-3 minutes. Remove the charred skin from the peppers and remove the olives from the skewers. Place in a food processor with anchovies, lemon juice, lemon zest, vinegar, pepper, oil and parsley. Pulse until blended and smooth, scrape into a bowl, cover and chill until ready to assemble the burgers.

To make the patties:

Mix together in a large bowl ground beef, ground sausage, garlic, salt and pepper using a spoon as to not over work the meat. Portion into 6 equal patties, cover and chill until ready to grill.

To make the mayonnaise:

Whisk together mayonnaise and basil in a small bowl until thoroughly mixed. Cover and chilled until ready to assemble the burgers.

To cook the pancetta:

In a fire proof skillet cook pancetta slices until crispy, 1-2 minutes per side and let drain on a paper towel until ready to assemble the burgers.

Brush the grill rack with oil. Place patties on the rack, cover and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, per side, turning once. Top burgers with mozzarella slices and melt, around 2-3 minutes. Brush the split focaccia bread with olive oil, place on the grill and toast.

To assemble the burgers, spread basil mayonnaise evenly on to each slice of bread. Top with patties, pancetta and a heaping spoonful of tapenade and sun-dried tomatoes, serve immediately.