Veal Saltimbocca Burgers

Ingredients

* Please note – the ingredient list numbers no more than 16, but I have listed the same ingredient (e.g. salt & pepper) multiple times in the recipe when used in different stages of assembling the burgers.

Patty Ingredients:
1 cup – dried shitake mushrooms
1 tablespoon – Colavita extra virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, chopped
½ cup – Sutter Home Chardonnay
1 ½ cups – cubed day-old French bread
1/3 cup – fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 pound – freshly ground veal
2 tablespoons – Sutter Home Chardonnay
1 teaspoon – salt
1 teaspoon – fresh ground black pepper

Italian Ketchup Ingredients:
1 14.5 oz. can – crushed tomatoes
2 teaspoons – Dried Italian Seasoning (we use Penzey’s Pizza Seasoning but any good-quality Italian Seasoning will work)
1 teaspoon – salt
1 teaspoon – fresh ground black pepper
½ cup – Sutter Home Merlot

Additional Ingredients
2 tablespoons – Colavita extra virgin olive oil
1 large loaf – Italian bread, sliced into ½ inch slices
3 tablespoons – Colavita extra virgin olive oil
18 leaves fresh sage
6 round slices – fontina cheese
6 round slices – thinly sliced proscuitto ham
Vegetable oil for brushing the grill rack

 

Instructions

Preheat a gas grill to medium-high heat.

In a small glass bowl, pour hot water over dried mushrooms. Cover and let mushrooms soak for 30 minutes. Once mushrooms are rehydrated, drain and squeeze out excess water. Coarsely chop mushrooms and set aside.

In a medium, non-stick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add the rehydrated mushrooms. Sauté for 5 minutes until mushrooms are fragrant. Add the chopped garlic and sauté for an additional minute. Add the chardonnay to the mushroom mixture and continue cooking for an additional 5 minutes until wine is cooked out and mixture is “dry”. Set aside to let cool for approximately 10 minutes. Once cool, add mushroom mixture to food processor and pulse until mixture is thoroughly combined and smooth. Remove from food processor and place in a large glass bowl.

Add bread cubes and fresh basil to food processor. Pulse until converted into finely-textured breadcrumbs. Measure out 1 cup of breadcrumb mixture and add crumbs to glass bowl with mushroom mixture.

Add the veal, 2 tablespoons Chardonnay, salt and pepper to the glass bowl with the mushroom mixture and breadcrumbs. Combine with hands until ingredients are just integrated. Mold into 6 patties, each ¼- inch thick. Loosely wrap with plastic wrap and partially freeze for 15 minutes until ready to grill.

In a small saucepan, add the crushed tomatoes, Merlot and Italian seasoning. Bring to a slow boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer tomatoes for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until reduced by about half and thickened. Set the Italian Ketchup aside until ready to assemble burgers.

Pour 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil into a small dish. Lightly brush olive oil on each side of sliced Italian bread. Twelve (12) slices of bread will need to be prepared. Set aside on a platter until ready to grill.

In a small sauté pan, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat. Add the sage leaves and sauté for 3-4 minutes, until slightly crisp. Remove with slotted spoon and set aside on a paper-towel lined plate until ready to assemble burgers.

Brush the heated grill with vegetable oil. Add the burgers, and cook 3 minutes. Turn burgers at a 45-degree angle and cook an additional 3 minutes to create a criss-cross pattern. Flip burgers and grill 3 minutes. Before turning burgers at a 45-degree angle, add a slice of fontina cheese and a slice of proscuitto ham. Lower grill cover and cook burgers for an additional 3 minutes. During the last few minutes of cooking, add the 12 slices of Italian bread. Cook for 1 minute per side. Remove burgers and bread from grill and set aside on a platter.

To assemble burgers, place a patty on a slice of French bread. Top with 3 leaves of fried sage. Spread 2 teaspoons of Italian Ketchup on top of remaining slices of bread. Place on top of burgers and serve.