Smoky Bacon Gouda Pinot Noir Burgers with Chipotle Mayo

Ingredients

Chipotle Mayonnaise:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoon ground chipotle spice
1 teaspoon Liquid Smoke
Patties:
12 slices of applewood bacon
3 pounds ground chuck
3 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1 teaspoon Liquid Smoke
2 tablespoons Grill Seasoning
1/2 cup Sutter Home Pinot Noir
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Vegetable oil for grilling surface
6 oz. smoked Gouda cheese, sliced into 1 oz. slices
6 Kaiser rolls, split
3 cups arugula, washed, torn, and dried

Instructions

Preheat gas grill to medium high heat, if using charcoal grill heat coals to medium high heat. To make chipotle mayonnaise, combine mayonnaise, chipotle spice, and Liquid Smoke in small mixing bowl, stir until well mixed. Cover and refrigerate. Place fireproof skillet over medium high heat and add applewood bacon. Cook until crispy. Remove bacon and place on paper towels to drain. Reserve bacon grease. While bacon cooks, assemble patties. Combine ground chuck, salt, pepper, Liquid Smoke, grill seasoning, Pinot Noir, and red pepper flakes in large mixing bowl. Combine with hands, handling the mixture as little as possible to avoid compacting patties. Divide mixtue into 6 equal patties. Clean hot grill surface with wire brush and brush grill surface with vegetable oil. Place patties on grill. Cook for 3-4 minutes, then flip patties and cook approx 5 minutes until medium. Place 2 strips of bacon criss-crossed on patty and cover with a slice of Gouda cheese. Grill until melted. Brush each side of split Kaiser rolls with reserved bacon grease and place cut sides down on grill, cook until golden and toasted. Remove from heat, and spread a generous amount of chipotle mayo on cut side of each top half of rolls. Place grilled patties on cut side of bottom halves of rolls, top with 1/2 cup of arugula and roll top. Serve. Makes 6 burgers.