The Cabernet-Bella Burger
Ingredients
Patties:
2 lbs. ground sirloin
3/4 cup cabernet sauvignon wine
2 T. steak seasoning
Sauce:
1 T. olive oil
3 T. butter, unsalted
2 lg. shallots, finely diced
2 t. dried thyme
6 cups baby portabella mushrooms, sliced 1/4-inch thick (buttom mushrooms may be substituted)
1/4 cup cabernet vinegar (balsamic may be substituted)
2 cups cabernet sauvignon wine
1 14.5 oz. can low-sodium beef broth
1 1/2 t. salt (more or less to taste)
1 1/2 t. pepper (more or less to taste)
1 T. cornstarch
2 T. cold water
Burgers:
6 T. olive oil
6 ciabatta rolls
12 t. crumbled gorgonzola cheese
Instructions
NOTE: All preparations are for a gas grill. Mix sirloin, cabernet and steak seasoning till combined, being careful not to overmix. Refridgerate for at lease one hour for flavors to merry. Heat olive oil and melt butter together over medium-high flame. Saute shallots till they begin to soften, about 1-2 minutes. Add thyme. Add mushrooms and saute until they cook thru and begin to carmelize, about 5-6 minutes. Deglaze pan with cabernet vinegar. Add wine and beef broth and reduce mixture over high heat until approx. 1 1/2 cups liquid remain. (Reduction will take approx. 30-40 minutes depending on heat of grill.) Season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix together cornstarch and water to form a slurry. Stir in the slurry to thicken sauce. Reduce heat to low or remove from heat and cover to keep warm. Once the sauce has started to reduce, remove the sirloin mixture from the fridge and form into 6 equal sized square patties – done best with a square patty press. (Note: if not using a patty press, keep your hands cold while forming patties by running them under cold water – this helps to keep the patties tender.) Let patties rest for 10 minutes to come to room temperature before grilling. Prep grill by oiling grates with 3 T. oil. Drizzle remaining 3 T. oil over sliced ciabatta rolls. Place patties on grill over medium-high heat and cook on each side for approx. 4-6 minutes per side, flipping only once. After flipping the burgers, place rolls on grill over low flame to brown. If heat and time are on your side, everything should come off at the same time. Plating starts by placing bottoms of ciabatta rolls on plate. Spoon a little sauce over bottom of each roll, then place burger on sauce, spooning a little more sauce on top of each burger. Sprinkle each burger with 2 t. cheese and finish with top of roll.