Red-Eye Glazed Buffalo Burgers with Rustic Onion Jam

Ingredients

Sun Dried Tomato Spread:
2 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sun dried tomato spread
2 Tablespoons Sutter Home Zinfandel Wine

Rustic Onion Jam:
6 slices hickory smoked bacon
3 medium Vidalia sweet onions, sliced 1/4-inch thick and quartered
3 large fresh jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced
3/4 cup Sutter Home Zinfandel Wine
4 teaspoons corn starch

Burgers:
— oil to brush on grill rack
2 pounds ground buffalo
2 teaspoons salt
2-1/2 ounces Asiago cheese, freshly grated
2-1/2 teaspoons coarse ground black pepper
1/2 cup espresso coffee
2 teaspoons chipotle flavored hot pepper sauce (such as Chipotle Tabasco)
1/4 cup butter, softened
6 large rustic potato rolls, split
6 ounces pre-washed fresh baby spinach leaves

 

Instructions

Prepare a medium-hot fire in charcoal grill with lid.

To prepare spread, in small bowl whisk cream cheese until smooth. Whisk in tomato spread and 2 Tablespoons Sutter Home Zinfandel Wine; cover and refrigerate.

To prepare onion jam, place 10-inch well-seasoned cast iron skillet on grill. Add bacon and cook 6 to 10 minutes until bacon is crisp. Remove bacon to paper towel lined plate to drain; when cool enough to handle, crumble bacon into generous sized pieces. Discard all but 1 Tablespoon of the bacon grease from pan. To the 1 Tablespoon grease in pan, add onions and jalapeno peppers. Stirring often, cook 10 to 12 minutes until just beginning to soften. In small bowl, whisk together 3/4 cup Sutter Home Zinfandel Wine and corn starch until smooth. Gradually stir wine mixture into onion mixture. Cook additional 1 to 2 minutes until onion mixture thickens. Remove from heat and stir in crumbled bacon; keep warm.

Oil grill rack. To prepare burgers, combine buffalo, salt and Asiago cheese in large bowl. Handling the mixture as little as possible, mix well. Divide into six equal portions and form into patties sized to fit the rolls. Sprinkle both sides of each patty with black pepper and gently press to adhere. To make red-eye glaze, in small bowl stir together espresso and hot pepper sauce.

Place patties on grill; baste with red-eye glaze and cook 3-5 minutes. Turn patties; baste with more red-eye glaze and cook an additional 3-5 minutes or until desired doneness.

Spread butter over the cut sides of each roll. Place rolls, cut side down, on grill until lightly toasted.

To serve, spread sun dried tomato spread over the cut side of each bottom roll piece. Top each with an equal portion of spinach, a burger patty, an equal portion of onion jam and a roll top. Makes 6.