Salute to Italy Burger
Ingredients
Pan Fried Mozzarella:
1. 3/4 cup Italian bread crumbs
2. 1/4 cup all purpose flour
3. 1/2 cup milk (2%)
4. 2 balls fresh mozzarella
5. 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
6. 2 large eggs
Burgers:
7. 2 ripe plumb tomatoes – peeled and seeded
8. 2 tsp minced garlic
9. 1 bag pepper stir fry mix
10. 1 tsp kosher salt
11. 1 tsp fresh ground pepper
12. 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
13. 1 1/4 pound ground sirloin
14. 1/2 pound ground Sweet Italian Sausage
15. 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
16. Italian Bread Rolls – bakery fresh
1/4 cup vegetable oil – for grill
Instructions
INSTRUCTIONS: Pan Fried Mozzarella: Pre-heat the cast iron frying pan and 1 tablespoon olive oil. First beat the egg and the milk together until well mixed – set aside in shallow bowl. Then mix the bread crumbs and the flour together – set aside in shallow plate. Styrofoam plates work well. Next slice the mozzarella with a cheese slicer – approximately 1/8 inch thickness – you will need 12 slices. Dip one slice at a time into the milk/egg mixture, and then completely cover the cheese slice with the breadcrumbs/ flour mixture – place into the hot frying pan – cook approximately 2 minutes on each side – until golden brown. Place cooked cheese on a paper towel, repeat for each slice of cheese. DO NOT STACK THE COOKED CHEESE! Add olive oil to pan as needed between slices; allow oil to heat with each addition. Set the fried cheese aside. Salute to Italy Burgers: Remove the skin and the seeds from the plumb tomatoes, and then dice the tomatoes into tiny pieces. Set aside. Mince the pepper stir fry mix; allow to thaw on a paper towel so the liquid drains away. Remove the casings from the sausage links and place in a large metal mixing bowl, add the ground sirloin and the remaining egg mix very well. Add the salt, pepper, crushed red peppers and minced garlic – mix well. Add the pepper stir fry mix and tomatoes mix very well. Set aside in refrigerator until time to cook. Burgers will need to cook about 14 minutes on a medium flame. 1/2 hour before cooking – take burger mixture out of refrigerator and form 6 -4 ounce burgers shape to the bun. Make burgers between 1/2 and 3/4 inch thick and approximately 5.5 inches around. Place burgers on plate. Reheat the frying pan on the grill Place the 6 burgers on the grill – cooking about 7 minutes on each side – flipping the burger only once. When the burgers are almost finished cooking, reheat the mozzarella in the frying pan – be sure not to over cook the cheese. Place 1 slice of the warmed cheese on the bottom of the bun, then drizzle the cheese with the balsamic vinegar, then place a cooked burger on the cheese, top the burger with the second slice of mozzarella and then drizzle the top with the balsamic vinegar, add the top bun and enjoy.