Sloppy Giuseppes (Braciole Burgers)

Pairs well with:

Cabernet Sauvignon

This rich red easily complements your homemade chicken dishes, red meats, game, and mildly seasoned pastas.

Ingredients:

Braciole stuffing:
1/3 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
2 hard boiled eggs, cooled and chopped
2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1/2 cup grated provolone cheese
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1 Tbsp tomato sauce

Patties:
2 lbs ground chuck
1 tsp salt

Sauce:
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/2 cup diced red onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper, seeds and ribs removed
1 16 oz. can of tomato sauce (minus 1 Tbsp of sauce for the stuffing)
3/4 cup Sutter Home Cabernet Sauvignon
2 tsp fresh basil, chopped
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp soy sauce

6 Kaiser rolls

Instructions:

1. Prepare a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill with a cover, or preheat a gas grill to medium (approx 350 degrees).

2. Place the bread crumbs, eggs, parsley, Romano, Provolone, garlic, salt & pepper into a medium sized bowl and mix with a fork. Add the tomato sauce to wet the mixture slightly and mix it in until stuffing is slightly sticky. Set aside.

3. Place the ground chuck into a bowl and add the salt. Mix it through gently with your hands and make 12 thin patties (approx 1/3 cup of beef). Take a patty and top it with approximately a 1/4 cup of the stuffing. (If the stuffing is wet enough, you can scoop up a 1/4 cup and make a stuffing patty and lay it on top of the burger patty.) Top it with another burger patty, compress it slightly and seal the edges with your fingers. Continue making the burgers until you have 6 stuffed burgers.

4. Place the olive oil into a disposable 9 x 13 foil cake pan and set it onto the grill. When the oil is hot, add the green pepper and sautee them for approximately 4 minutes. Then add the onion and sautee for an additional 3 minutes. Add the remaining tomato sauce, Cabernet, basil, brown sugar and soy sauce. Cover the grill and let this simmer for 10 minutes.

5. Place your braciole patties onto the grill and cook them about 4 minutes a side, just until they have good grill marks. When both sides have been grilled, place them into the foil pan with the sauce. Spoon sauce over the burgers and coat them completely. (If the sauce is getting a little too thick, add a little more Cabernet to loosen it up, and then cover the pan with foil.) Let the burgers cook in the sauce for about 15 to 20 minutes, letting the flavors mix. Monitor the grill temperature and check your sauce every 5 minutes. The sauce should reduce down to around 2 cups so you can give everyone about 1/3 cup of sauce.

6. Split the rolls and toast them lightly on the grill. Place the rolls on plates, top with a burger, top the burger with sauce and top that with the top of the roll. Now how can you top that? (You might have to serve these with a knife and fork for the neatniks.)