Red Chile Burgers with Avocado Lime Salsa

Ingredients

Avocado Lime Salsa:
2 ripe avocados, diced
Juice of 2 limes, cut and squeezed
2 red tomatoes, diced
1 small jalapeno chile (optional), deseeded and finely diced
½ cup fresh cilantro, finely-chopped
2 teaspoons salt (ideally, Kosher)
2 teaspoons black pepper (ideally, freshly-ground)
2 tablespoons Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Patties:
2 pounds pork, freshly-ground
2 cloves fresh garlic, peeled and finely-chopped
2 teaspoons cumin, ground
2 teaspoons salt (preferably Kosher)
2 teaspoons black pepper (preferably freshly-ground)
2 teaspoons red chile powder
¼ cup red chile sauce
¼ cup Sutter Home California Zinfandel
½ pound of Pepper Jack Cheese, cut into 6 thick large slices
Vegetable oil for brushing on grill
Buns:
6 freshly-baked cornmeal buns, split

Instructions

To make Avocado Lime Salsa, in a medium bowl, mix together diced avocado, the juice from two limes, diced tomatoes, diced jalapeno, freshly-chopped cilantro, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Stir to a blended consistency, and set aside. Prepare a medium-hot fire in a charcoal barbecue-grill – or preheat a gas grill to medium-high heat. To make the patties, mix together ground pork, chopped garlic, cumin, salt, black pepper, and red chile powder until fully incorporated into the meat. Next, mix in red chile sauce and Zinfandel and knead gently until all ingredients are fully incorporated. Portion and form into six patties. When grill is ready, brush it with vegetatble oil (to keep patties from sticking). Place patties on grill and cook approximately five minutes. Flip patties, cook another 2 minutes then add a slice of Pepper Jack Cheese on each patty. Place bun halves on grill until lightly toasted (2 – 3 minutes). Meanwhile, cook patties another 2 -3 minutes, making sure cheese has melted. To build a better burger, place cooked patty on bottom of bun, spoon a generous amount of Avocado Lime Salsa on top of the melted Pepper Jack Cheese. Cover with bun top and serve with a glass of Sutter Home California Zinfandel and a smile. Makes 6 burgers.