The Frankfurterburger

Ingredients

Patty-Logs
• 1½ pounds freshly ground beef chuck
• ½ pound Johnsonville Hot Italian Sausage (uncased)
• 6 cloves garlic (minced)
• 2 tablespoons garlic salt
• 1 tablespoon liquid smoke (hickory)
• 1 tablespoon Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce
• ½ tablespoon Tabasco pepper sauce
• 1 tablespoon black pepper (freshly ground)

Glow-Green Sweet-Hot Relish
• 3 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
• 3 tablespoons pickled jalapeno slices (finely chopped)
• 6 drops green food coloring

• 12 slices applewood-smoked bacon (hickory-smoked bacon may be substituted)

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter (melted)
• ½ cup Colavita extra virgin olive oil
• 6 submarine sandwich rolls (split, but left hinged together along one side)
• 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 cups alfalfa sprouts (or broccoli sprouts may be substituted)
• 3 tablespoons white onion (coarsely chopped – 1/4 inch dice)
• 24 kosher dill pickle slices (sliced on a bias, 1/8 inch thick, from 3 medium-size whole pickles)
• 18 vine-ripe tomato half-slices (sliced 1/4 inch thick, then halved, from 3 medium-size tomatoes)
• 3 tablespoons yellow American mustard (in a squirt bottle)
• 3 tablespoons red onion (coarsely chopped – 1/4 inch dice)
• 6 tablespoons feta cheese (crumbled)
• 3 teaspoons celery salt
• 1 ½ teaspoons black pepper (freshly ground)

Instructions

Prepare a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill with a cover, or pre-heat a gas grill to medium-high.

To make the patty-logs, combine the beef, sausage, garlic, garlic salt, liquid smoke, Worcestershire sauce, pepper sauce, and black pepper in a large bowl. Mix well, handling the meat as little as possible to avoid compacting it. Divide the mixture into six equal portions. Gently roll and shape each portion into a patty-log, sized about 8 inches long x 1 inch wide. Wrap each patty-log individually in plastic wrap, using the wrap to further assist the shaping process. Refrigerate until just prior to cooking.

To make the glow-green, sweet-hot relish, combine the relish, jalapeno, and food coloring in a small bowl. Stir together well. Cover and refrigerate until assembly.

Place the bacon slices in a cast iron skillet (or griddle) and cook on the grill rack until crispy. Transfer first to paper towels to absorb excess fat, then to an open sheet of foil to hold until assembly. Reserve the rendered bacon grease in the skillet (or griddle) for pre-cooking the patty-logs.

To pre-cook the patty logs, heat the cast iron skillet (or griddle) with the reserved bacon grease until very hot. Remove the chilled patty-logs from the plastic wrap and gently flatten each one to form a slight four-sidedness to the length of the patty-log. Place the patty-logs on the pre-heated griddle and cook about two minutes on each of the four sides. While the patty-logs are cooking, place the butter in a fire-proof saucepan elsewhere on the grill to melt, and set aside off the grill when fully melted. When the patty-logs are done, remove the cast iron skillet (or griddle) from the grill, holding the patty-logs in the skillet (or griddle) until the grill is ready.

Immediately brush the grill rack with the olive oil, and transfer the pre-cooked patty-logs directly onto the hot, oiled, grill rack. Be sure to place the patty-logs across the grill grates, not in-line with them, to obtain attractive grill marks on the patty-logs. Baste the patty-logs with half of the melted butter and finish cooking approximately one minute on each of four sides, or until done to preference. Remove from the grill to a plate, cover with foil, and hold for assembly.

Using the remaining melted butter, brush a small amount on the interior, cut-side, of each of the six rolls. Place the rolls, cut-side down, on the grill briefly, to provide a very light toasting to the interior of the roll, and take care to keep the hinged side together. Remove the toasted rolls for assembly.

To assemble the frankfurterburgers, open the hinged, buttered and toasted rolls, and spread the open sides of each with equal portions of Dijon mustard. Then, spread equal portions of sprouts lengthwise down the center of the rolls, forming a nest-like bed that covers the hinged part, but leaves the interior sides above the hinge uncovered. Sprinkle the sprouts with equal portions of white onion. Place the fully-cooked patty-logs on top of the sprouts and onion, and place two slices of bacon, one on each side of the patty-logs. Next, to the outside of the bacon slices, on one side, place four dill pickle slices, end-to-end down the length of the patty-log, and repeat with three tomato slices on the opposite side. To complete assembly, use a spoon to spread equal portions of the relish mixture down the length of the patty-log, followed by a similar length of yellow mustard squirted in a zig-zag pattern. Top this with equal portions of the red onion, feta cheese, celery salt, and black pepper and serve.

Makes 6 frankfurterburgers