Sweet & Sour Thai Burgers

Pairs well with:

Gewurztraminer

Hard to pronounce yet easy to drink, this wine combines lychee fruit and white peach flavors with a hint of spice.

Ingredients

Sweet & Sour Sauce
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
½ medium onion, chopped
½ teaspoon grated ginge
r ¼ cup finely diced pineapple
1/3 cup rice vinegar
¼ cup ketchup
2 tablespoon Asian chili garlic sauce 
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup Sutter Home Gewürztraminer Wine
2 teaspoon cornstarch Bean Sprout Relish
2 cups bean sprout with root removed
½ cup of sweet & sour sauce (recipe above)
Patties
Ground Beef
1 egg
2 tablespoon Thai fish sauce (nam pla)
¼ teaspoon pepper Pinch of salt
½ cup Asian Vermicelli noodle (Bean thread), soak in warm water for 30 minutes, chopped
¼ cup Dried Shiitake mushrooms (5 to 6 medium caps), soak in warm water for 30 minutes, drain and squeeze excess liquid form shiitake, remove stem and chop mushroom
1/3 cup sweet onion, chopped
Vegetable oil, for brushing the grill rack
4 sesame buns, split

 

Instructions

Prepare a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill with a cover or preheat a gas grill to medium-high. To make the sweet and sour sauce, heat oil in small saucepan over medium-high heat. When hot, add the onions and cook, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the ginger and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds. Stir in the pineapple, vinegar, ketchup, chili garlic sauce, and the sugar. Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. In a small bowl, whisk together the Gewürztraminer wine and cornstarch until smooth. Add to the sauce mixture and bring to a boil. Cook for 1 minute, remove from the heat, and cool slightly. Pour the sauce into a small food processor or blender and pulse several times. Leave the sauce a little chunky and refrigerate to chill. Make this during the final 5 minutes of grilling. To make the bean sprout relish, combine the bean sprouts and sweet and sour sauce in a small bowl, mix well. To make the patties, combine the egg, fish sauce, pepper and salt in a large bowl and whisk to blend well. Add the noodles, shiitake mushrooms and onions to mixture and mix well. Add the beef. Handling the meat as little as possible to avoid compacting it, mix well. Divide the mixture into 4 equal portions and form the portions into patties to fit the buns. When grill is ready, brush the grill rack with vegetable oil. Place the patties on the rack, cover and cook until brown on the bottom, about 3-4 minutes. Turn the patties and continue grilling until done to preference, about 5 minutes longer for medium. During the last few minutes of cooking, place the buns, cut side down, on the outer edges of the rack to toast lightly. To assemble the burgers, spread the sweet and sour sauce over each bun bottom, a patty and an equal amount of the bean sprout relish. Add the bun tops and serve. Makes 4 burgers