Spicy Bistro Burger with Potato Cake and Pineapple Ketchup

Pairs well with:

Cabernet Sauvignon

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

Ingredients

5# Idaho potatoes cubed and rinsed
1 tablespoon Table salt
3 tablespoons Ready To Use Minced garlic- Suggested Spice World
4 tablespoons butter – room temperature
8 scallions (green onions), chopped whites and light green parts only
1 ½ cups panko bread crumbs
1 egg – keep chilled until ready to use
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium Vidalia onion – about 1 and ¼ cups
5-6 cloves garlic
1 28-oz can tomato purée
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 Fresh Ripe Pineapple
1# 80/20 ground chuck – keep chilled until ready to use
1# 90/10 ground sirloin – keep chilled until ready to use
1 tablespoon and ½ teaspoon Montreal Steak Seasoning
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
2 shallots finely chopped (1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons)
¾ teaspoon Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce
2 tablespoons Sutter Home Cabernet Sauvignon
1 large zucchini, rinsed
½ cup vegetable oil
6 slices provolone cheese, Suggest Sargento – keep chilled until ready to use
6 Kaiser rolls (2 poppy seed, 2 sesame seed, 2 plain. I used Publix Bakery)
1 rinsed beef steak tomato cut in 6 even slices
6 leaves of romaine lettuce, rinsed and vein removed – keep chilled until ready to use

 

Instructions

Preparation

Preheat grill, then lower temperature to 375-400 degrees.

Potato Cakes – Step 1 prep time 4 minutes, cooking time 40 minutes
While grill is preheating prepare the potatoes to boil by peeling and cubing them. Give them a good rinse and put in a 3.2 qt. T-FAL stainless steel pot. Cover potatoes with an inch of cold water, add 1 tablespoon salt, and 3 tablespoons ready to use minced garlic. Cover the pot with lid and place on the grill to bring to a boil. Drop the grill cover to maintain the heat. Stir the potatoes every 15 minutes to keep them from sticking to the bottom of the pot.

Burger Seasoning- Prep time 3 minutes

Begin to prepare the ingredients for the burger seasoning while the potatoes are boiling. This will allow the flavors time to marry and become very fragrant.

Burger Seasoning 1
Add ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons shallots, ¼ cup finely chopped garlic,1 tablespoon McCormick’s Montreal Steak Seasoning, ¼ teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper to a small bowl and set aside. In another small bowl add ¾ teaspoon Sriracha and 2 tablespoons of Cabernet Sauvignon and stir to combine. Add wine mixture to the other ingredients combining all. Cover with plastic wrap until ready for use in the burgers.

Burger Seasoning 2
In another small bowl combine ½ teaspoon Montreal Steak Seasoning, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, set aside to season burger patties during cooking.

Don’t forget to check the potatoes!

Pineapple Ketchup Vegetable and Seasoning- Prep time 4 minutes
You will now have time to prepare the vegetables and spices for the pineapple ketchup.
Chop 1 medium Vidalia onion (1 1/4 cups) and 1 garlic clove finely chopped (1 teaspoon) place in a bowl. Combine all the following spices in another bowl, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard, 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves, 1/8 teaspoon allspice, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper and stir to combine. Gather your cider vinegar, dark brown sugar, tomato puree, tomato paste and oil. You will begin cooking the ketchup when the potatoes are done.

Back to the boiling potatoes – Once potatoes are done drain potatoes in a fine strainer to keep the garlic with the potatoes. Return the potatoes to the pot and immediately place pan back on the grill stirring gently to help remove the excess water. Remove from grill to a heat safe surface. Add 2 tablespoons of butter and the chopped scallions. Transfer potatoes to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until we are ready for Potato Cake-Step 2.

Pineapple Ketchup – Step 1 Prep time 4 minutes, cooking time 50 minutes.
Thoroughly wash the pan used for the potatoes and dry. Return to the grill still at 375-400 degrees. Add 2 tablespoons olives oil to pan and let heat. Add in the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Add in 1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add 1 tablespoon tomato paste and let cook for about a minute, then add 1- 28 ounce can tomato purée,1/2 cup brown sugar, ¼ cup cider vinegar and spice mixture Bring to a boil, then reduce flame to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened to the consistency of ketchup, 45 to 50 minutes. Remove from heat, let cool. Using a blender, puree the ketchup until smooth. Transfer to a glass bowl by pouring the ketchup through a strainer then refrigerate until we are ready for Pineapple Ketchup – Step 2.

If the gas tank permits, keep the grill heated. If not, turn the grill off and reheat when ready to use again. You can keep the grill on low heat at this point.

Prepare the pineapple for the pineapple Ketchup – prep time 4 minutes
Using a fresh ripe pineapple cut off the leaves and about a 1/2 inch of the top and bottom of the fruit. If you like, you can use the top and leaves as part of a table decoration Place your knife on top of the fruit just behind one of the eyes. The eyes run down the side of the pineapple in a column. Slice down to the bottom of the fruit slightly turning your knife at the top and bottom to follow the curved shape of the pineapple. Once you have completely peeled the pineapple, check the fruit over for any skin or eyes you may have missed. Remove any remaining eyes with a paring knife. cut the pineapple into four sections. Cut straight down through the center core and then again through the center core of each half. Place the quarter section of the pineapple core side up. Slice away the core by cutting lengthwise just under core. The core is easily distinguishable from the edible fruit because it is lighter in color and fibrous in texture. Repeat with remaining quarters. Next, roughly chop one of the quarters and place in a blender, puree until smooth, about 30 seconds. You will need ¼ cup of pineapple puree. Using another quarter finely chop the pineapple, you will need ¼ cup of the chopped pineapple. Refrigerate both until ready to use in pineapple Ketchup – Step 2.

Prepare the Zucchini Coins – prep time 3 minutes
Wash the zucchini and pat dry. Slice the zucchini with skins on in ¼ coins (circles) 12 total. In a bowl combine 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper. Set aside until ready to grill.

Form the Potato Cakes – prep time 4 minutes
Prepare a small cutting board by lightly covering in all-purpose flour. In a breading dish beat 1 egg, set aside. In another breading dish add 1 ½ cups panko bread crumbs, set aside. Using a 3 tablespoon good grips cookie scoop drop 6 scoops of potatoes into the egg. One at a time cover each potato scoop with egg and drop into the panko. Cover completely with panko and transfer to a floured board. On the board form each potato scoop into a 3 ½" round by about ¼" thick potato cake. When all 6 are done lightly cover them with plastic wrap and return to refrigerator until ready to grill.
Ready the Grill

25 minuters before time deadline kick the grill back up to high heat, placing the Pro-logic Cast Iron 12" Square Griddle on one side to preheat that as well. While grill is preheating prepare the burger patties, combine the ground chuck and ground sirloin with cold hands and work quickly. You want an even mix of both meats in each burger. Add burger seasoning 1 to the meat and combine well. Form 6- 1/3 pound burger patties placing them on a board and returning to the refrigerator until ready to grill.

`13 minutes before time deadline gather the potato cakes, burger patties, and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Put the oil in the hot pan, then season the top side of the burger patties by sprinkling each with a pinch of burger seasoning 2. Place the seasoned side down on the hot grill to sear about 40 seconds, lower heat to 400 degrees and cook about 6 minutes. While the patties are cooking on side 1 check the oil for the potato cakes. When oil is hot (you’ll see ripples) add the potato cakes. Once the potato cakes are added lower heat to 400 degrees on that side of the grill and lower grill cover for both sides. Cook the potato cake on side 1 about 4 minutes. You want a golden crunch on the potato cakes.
Pineapple Ketchup Step 2 – 2 minutes
While side 1 of the burger and potato cakes are cooking add the pureed and chopped pineapple to 1 cup of the ketchup from step 1, combine and set aside
.
Prepare the rolls for Grilling – 2 minutes
Using the bread knife split the 6 Kaiser rolls, butter the inside of the tops and bottoms with the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, set aside.

Back to the grill
Flip the potato cakes continue cooking another 3-4 minutes until golden brown and crispy. Check the burgers, if ready flip burgers and season with burger seasoning 2 by sprinkling a pinch of the mix on each burger, continue cooking another 5-6 minutes. Remove potato cakes from pan and place on foil on the top rack of the grill to keep warm. Using a paper towel, carefully remove any excess oil from the pan used for potato cake cooking. turning heat back to high. Lightly brush the 12 zucchini coins with the seasoned olive oil on one side. When the pan is hot place the zucchini on the pan. Cook on each side 2 minutes. You are looking for a little color, but do not want to lose the firmness of the zucchini. While the zucchini is cooking place the buttered rolls on the grill butter side down, keeping an eye on them for browning, remove from heat when done, about 1 minute. Keep rolls warm by placing them on foil on the top rack of the grill. When the zucchini is done remove from pan and place on foil on the top rack of the grill to keep warm. When the burger patties are ready, 160 degrees on an instant read thermometer add 1 slice of provolone to each burger, let melt.

While the cheese is melting add 1 ½ teaspoons of the pineapple ketchup to the bottoms of each roll and plate. Add 1 potato cake to each bottom, then place the burger on top of the potato cake. Add 2 zucchini coins to each burger, then top each burger with 1 teaspoon of the pineapple ketchup, 1 lettuce leaf, and 1 tomato slice. Top each burger with the roll top and serve.