Southern Green Tomato Burger

Pairs well with:

Zinfandel

Bright and full-bodied, this Zinfandel wine is a curious contradiction in tastes.

The South is known for its amazing food. Fried Green Tomatoes are definitely Southern treat. My burger captures the true essence of southern ingredients with fried green tomatoes, garlic lemon mayonnaise, shoestring fries and top off with home-made BBQ sauce. My burger has crunch, sour tang, slight saltiness and sweet goodness from the sauces. Southern comfort all the way !

Ingredients:

Ingredients:

Garlic Lemon Mayonnaise:

1 1/4 cups Mayonnaise
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 Tablespoons sour cream
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Bad Boys BBQ Sauce:

1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup Brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon Chipotle chile powder
1/2 teaspoon Ancho chile powder
3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 Tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke

Patties:

2 1/4 pounds chuck (80/20)
1/3 cup Bad Boy BBQ sauce (from above)
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon fresh black pepper

12 slices bacon

Fried Green Tomato:

6 quality slices Green tomato, 1/2 inch slices (use large green tomatoes)
1 cup Italian Style Bread crumbs, such as Progresso
1/3 cup flour
1 Tablespoon fresh basil, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
2 eggs, well beaten

Peanut oil for frying, about 4 cups, for frying the tomatoes and shoestring fries.

Shoestring Fries:

2 large Russet Potatoes, peeled, 1/8 inch thick slices, cut each slice into 1/8 inch long strips (use a mandoline)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (for seasoning the fries)

Colavita Extra Virgin Olive oil, for brushing the grill rack and buns.

6 slices of Sharp Cheddar Cheese, each 1/4 inch thick.

6 Brioche buns, split

Instructions:

Directions:

Prepare a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill with a cover, or preheat a gas grill to medium-high. Place a large iron skillet on the rack.

To make the Garlic Lemon Mayonnaise, in a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, heavy cream, sour cream, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, salt and ground pepper until smooth. Set aside in a refrigerator.

To make the Bad Boy’s BBQ sauce, in a large bowl add the ketchup, vinegar, Worcestershire, and brown sugar, whisk together. Next add the chipotle, ancho, paprika, garlic salt, kosher salt, cumin, and cayenne, whisk together. Add the honey and liquid smoke. Whisk all together until incorporated. Set aside.

To cook the bacon, Place the bacon in the preheated iron skillet. Cook the bacon until crisp about 5 to 7 minutes a side. Remove the bacon and drain on a paper towels. Cover the bacon with aluminum foil and keep warm. Remove the skillet from the grill.

To prepare the patties, In a large bowl, place the chuck, Bad Boy’s BBQ sauce, garlic, salt and pepper. Handling the meat as little as possible to avoid compacting it. Gently mix together using a large spoon. Form into 6 patties with a thumb dimple in the center of each patty and refrigerate until ready to grill.

To make the Fried Green Tomatoes, place a large iron skillet on the grill and add the peanut oil. Heat to 375 degree F. In a medium size baking dish, combine the Italian Bread crumbs, flour, basil, salt and pepper. In a small baking dish, whisk the eggs. Next, dredge the green tomatoes in the dry mix and tap off the excess. Dip the green tomatoes in the eggs, remove and allow the excess to drain off. Then dredge the green tomatoes back into the dry mix. Drop the green tomatoes into the 375 degree oil. Fry the tomatoes for 2 to 4 minutes, turn and fry for another 2 to 4 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and place on a paper towel. Repeat the process until all the tomatoes have been fried. Cover with aluminum foil and keep warm. Set aside.

Keep the oil at 375 F to be used for the Shoestring Fries process.

To make the Shoestring Fries, using the same peanut oil and large iron skillet, maintain the heat at 375 degree F. Slice the potatoes lengthwise into 1/8 inch thick slices. Then cut each slice into long 1/8 thick strips. Working in small batches, add the potato strips to the 375 degree oil. Fry the potatoes for 1 to 3 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and place on a paper towel and season with salt. Repeat the process until all the potatoes have been fried. Cover with aluminum foil and keep warm. Set aside. Remove the large iron skillet from the grill.

Brush the grill rack with olive oil. Place the patties on the grill, cover and cook for 5
minutes. Turn the patties and cover and continue cooking for another 5 minutes. During the last 2 to 3 minutes of grilling the patties, brush the patties with the Bad Boys BBQ sauce and add a slice of Sharp Cheddar cheeses on top of each patty. During the same time, brush the buns with olive oil and place the buns, cut side down, on the outer edges of the rack and toast lightly to golden brown.

To assemble the burger, slather the bottom and top toasted side of the buns with some of the Garlic Lemon Mayonnaise. Place 2 slices of bacon on each bottom bun and add the patty. On top of each patty place 1 slice of Fried Green Tomato, a pile of Shoestring Fries, and drizzle with Bad Boy’s BBQ sauce in that order. Add the toasted bun top with wooden skewers and serve immediately.

Makes 6 burgers.