“Sauerbraten Burger”

Ingredients:

Ingredients
For the Sauerbraten Burgers:
•2 ½ pounds ground chuck
•2 ½ tsp. Bratwurst Sausage Seasoning ( salt, white pepper, yellow mustard (dry), nutmeg, white onion)
•1 ½ tsp. Bavarian Seasoning (crushed brown mustard, rosemary, garlic, thyme, bay leaves and sage)
•1 tsp. Marjoram
•2 Tablespoons Dill Pickle Juice (from a jar of dill pickles)
•1/4 tsp. Sweet Paprika (Hungary)

For plating the burgers:
•12 Slices Smoked Applewood, Thick Cut, Bacon (cooked separately and place on the burger before serving)
•6 Slices Gouda Cheese (Deli-style sliced)
•6 Pumpernickel Hamburger Rolls – sliced and toasted on grill
•6 Fresh Romaine Lettuce Leaves (washed, pat dry, for the top bun before serving)

Ingredients for the “Caramelized Onions with Green Apples”
•6 medium (or 3 large) Sweet Vidalia Onions
•½ tsp salt.
•¾ c. Sutter Home Gewurztraminer Wine (divided into ½ c., and ¼ c.)
•Olive Oil to cover the bottom of skillet
•3 Tablespoons butter
•2 medium Green Apples (peeled, cored and cut into small cubes)

Ingredients for the Hot Mustard
•¼ c. Dry Mustard
•2 Tablespoons water
•¼ tsp. Bratwurst Sausage Seasoning ( salt, white pepper, yellow mustard (dry), nutmeg, white onion)
•¼ c. Sugar
•3 Tablespoons Flour
•1/3 c. Apple Cider Vinegar
•2/3 c. water
•½ tsp. salt

Ingredients for the Red Cabbage
•½ Head Red Cabbage
•½ c. Apple Cider Vinegar
•1 tsp. salt
•3-5 – Juniper berries (dried, leave whole while cabbage soaks)
Ingredients for the Red Cabbage Sauce (put on cabbage before serving)
•½ c. Mayo
•¼ c. Sugar
•2 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar

Instructions:

Directions
Prepare a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill with a cover, or preheat a gas grill to medium-high.
Brush grill rack with oil before placing burgers on.

First, prepare the Hot Mustard:
-In a small bowl, stir together ¼ c. dry mustard, ¼ tsp. Bratwurst Sausage Seasoning and 2 TB water. Set aside….
-In a 1 qt. saucepan, mix well 2/3 c. water, 1/3 c. cider vinegar, ¼ c. sugar, 3 TB all purpose flour and ½ tsp. salt.
-Heat saucepan on the grill, about 3-5 minutes, or until thickened, stirring constantly with a wisk.
-Remove from grill when it is thick,
-Stir in mustard mixture until smooth, cover and refrigerate (or put in the cooler).

Next, prepare the Red Cabbage
-Wash, core, cut in half
– Cut half head of cabbage into fine strips, place in bowl
-Add ½ c. Apple Cider Vinegar
– Add ½ tsp. Salt
– 3-5 Juniper Berries (dried, leave whole)
Blend, cover and set in cooler.

Next, prepare the “Caramelized Onions with Green Apples”
-Peel 6 medium (or 3 large) Vidalia Onions, cut in half and then slice onions
-Peel and core 2 Green Apples… Cut into small pieces.
-Heat frying pan on grill.
-Cover bottom with olive oil, until it is hot (not smoking), add 3 TB. Butter.
-Add onions & apples all at once.
-Pour 1/2 c. of the Gewurztraminer wine over the onions & apples.
– Sprinkle ½ tsp salt over top.
Mix together so all are covered in oil.
-Turn every 8 minutes until caramelized.
– Halfway through cooking (approximately 16 minutes), add the remaining ¼ c. of Gewurztraminer wine and pour on top of the onions and apples.
– Should take 25 – 30 minutes. Monitor temperature as you cook on the grill.
Color should be a dark rich brown when they are caramelized..

Next, Cook the Bacon…
Clean frying pan, place on grill and fry the bacon. – Crispy, but not burned – Set aside when done.

Next, prepare the Burgers
-Mix in a large bowl, 2 ½ pounds of Ground Chuck, 2 TB Dill Pickle Juice (from a jar of dill pickles) , 2 ½ tsp. Bratwurst Sausage Seasonings, 1 ½ tsp. Bavarian Seasoning, 1 tsp. Marjoram, ¼ tsp. Sweet Paprika (Hungary)
– Form into 6 Patties and put on a plate
– Loosely cover w/ plastic wrap and set aside. – until ready to Grill

Cooking your Burgers:
Place the patties on the rack, cover and grill until browned on the bottoms, 3 – 4 minutes. Turn the patties and continue grilling until done, approximately 5 additional minutes for medium.
Melt Gouda cheese, right before taking burgers off of the grill.

Toasting the Pumpernickel Rolls:
During the last few minutes, place cut rolls, cut side down, on the outer edges of the rack to lightly toast.
Watch them so they do not burn.

While Burgers are cooking, prepare the Red Cabbage Sauce:
-In a bowl, combine… ½ c. Mayo, ¼ c. Sugar and 2 TB. Apples Cider Vinegar. Stir until creamy.
-Add Red Cabbage (not the juice that it was soaking in) to this.
-Stir until blended