Pineapeño Burgers

Pairs well with:

Pinot Grigio

You won’t need a bouquet of flowers when you share our Pinot Grigio. This crisp wine with floral aromas is a wonderful way to make an entrance.

Ingredients:

Grilled Pineapples in Caramel Sauce:
½ cup butter
1 ½ cups light brown sugar, packed
¼ tsp. pure vanilla extract
2-20 oz. cans of Dole pineapple rings
packed in juice (Reserve ¼ cup of juice)

Patties:
2.25 pounds ground chuck
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tsp. coarse sea salt
1 tsp. coarse ground black pepper

Vegetable oil, for brushing on the grill rack
6 pieces cured, cooked extra lean ham –
approx 1/8″ thick
6 slices asadero cheese
6 Sara Lee Heart Healthy Wheat Hamburger Buns
Spray margarine
3 Tbsp. mayonnaise
48 slices pickled jalapeno
6 thin slices red onion

Instructions:

• Prepare a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill, or heat gas grill to medium-hot.
• In a saucepan, combine the butter, brown sugar, and vanilla. Pour contents of both cans of pineapples into a medium-sized bowl. Pour ¼ cup of the juice into the saucepan. Heat saucepan ingredients on grill rack, stirring frequently, until the butter is melted and the brown sugar is dissolved. Remove from grill rack. Drain the pineapples, discarding the remaining juice. Place pineapples into the warm caramel sauce. Set aside.
• To make the patties, combine the ground chuck with the chopped garlic, sea salt, and black pepper. Mix well, handling the meat as little as possible to avoid compacting it. Divide the mixture into 6 equal portions, then form into patties.
• Brush the grill rack with vegetable oil. Place the patties on the rack and cook, turning once, until done – about 6 minutes on each side.
• Meanwhile, remove the pineapple rings from the caramel sauce and place the rings on the grill rack. Cook the pineapple rings and ham slices directly on the grill rack for about 1 minute per side – just enough to heat through and leave some nice grill marks.
• During the final moments of grilling the patties, place a slice of asadero cheese on each patty.
• When the patties, pineapple rings, and ham are cooked, set them aside to a cooler part of the grill to keep warm.
• Separate the buns, then spray the cut portion of each half with the spray margarine. Place the halves, cut side down, on the grill rack and toast lightly.
• To assemble the burgers, spread mayonnaise on the cuts sides of each bun. On each bun bottom, place a patty, ham slice, 2 pineapple rings, 8 jalapeno slices, and red onion. Add the bun tops and serve. Makes 6 burgers.