Viking Burgers

Pairs well with:

Pinot Grigio

You won’t need a bouquet of flowers when you share our Pinot Grigio. This crisp wine with floral aromas is a wonderful way to make an entrance.

My grandmother’s recipe for Swedish Meatballs. I thought they would translate nicely into burger form with a few twists and updated flavors.

Ingredients:

1 cup sour cream

4 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

3 tablespoons prepared horseradish (extra hot preferred)

1 1/4 lbs. ground beef

1/4 lb. ground pork

1/3 cup finely chopped sweet onion

2 teaspoons ground nutmeg

2 teaspoons ground allspice

2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 lb. caraway Jarlsberg cheese, shredded

2 tablespoons butter, softened for spreading

6 potato hamburger buns

1 can sliced pickled beets, drained well on paper towels 1 cucumber, julienned

Instructions:

In a small bowl, combine the sour cream, dill and horseradish. Cover and refrigerate until needed. In a medium bowl, combine the ground beef and pork, onion and spices. Do not over-mix. Form the mixture into 6 4-ounce burgers. Preheat the grill to 400 degrees F. Place burgers on the grill. Grill 3 minutes with the lid closed. Flip the burgers and grill an additional 2 minutes with the lid closed. Place 2 tablespoons of the shredded cheese on each burger, close the lid and continue cooking until the cheese melts and an instant read thermometer registers 160 degrees in the thickest part of the meat. Remove burgers from the grill, place on a plate, cover and keep warm. Butter the potato buns and grill slightly until lightly toasted. To Serve: Place a burger on a toasted bun, top with 1 or 2 slices of pickled beet, and some julienned cucumber. Top with 2 tablespoons of the sour cream/dill mixture. .