Bourbon Street Burgers

Accolades 2005 Finalists
Serves Makes 6 burgers
Pairs well with:

Cabernet Sauvignon

This rich red easily complements your homemade chicken dishes, red meats, game, and mildly seasoned pastas.

Ingredients

Roasted Poblano Garlic Avocado Sauce:

1 garlic bulb
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 small poblano chiles (about 1/2 pound)
1 tablespoon Creole mustard or country-style mustard
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 jalapeno chile, seeded
1 ripe avocado

Wine Reduction:

12 fully-cooked bacon slices
1/2 cup finely diced shallots
3/4 cup Sutter Home Cabernet Sauvignon

Patties:

1/2 pound andouille sausage (about 3 links)
1 1/4 pounds Angus chuck steak (not ground)
1 1/4 pounds Angus sirloin steak (not ground)
2 tablespoons Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Meat Magic Seasoning Blend
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon TABASCO pepper sauce
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
2 teaspoons ground cayenne
6 tablespoons vegetable oil, for brushing the grill rack

Cheese Topping:

6 ounces Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
6 ounces vegetable-flavored cream cheese
Roasted garlic (above)

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium-sized red onion, cut crosswise into 6 slices
6 large whole-wheat burger buns, split
6 pickled okra or dill pickles, cut diagonally into thin slices
1 (3-ounce) package baby greens

 

Instructions

Prepare a medium-hot fire for both direct and indirect cooking in a charcoal grill with a cover, or preheat a gas grill to medium-high. If using charcoal, the coals should be placed so that they are under half of the rack, creating two zones: one hot and one mildly hot. If using a gas grill, follow manufacturer’s instructions to create zones for both direct and indirect grilling. When the grill is hot, clean it with a wire brush. It does not need to be oiled at this time.

To make the sauce, cut the top quarter off the garlic bulb and place on a sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil large enough to wrap the entire bulb. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of the oil over the top and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Wrap completely in the foil and place on the grill over indirect heat. Roast for about 45 minutes, then remove from the grill and let the garlic cool in the foil.

While the garlic is cooking, rub the poblano chiles with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, making sure to coat all sides. Place on the grill over direct heat. Using tongs, turn every 3 minutes to char all parts of the skin. Once the skin is charred, seal the roasted chiles in a paper bag and let steam for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, discard the skin and seeds and place the chiles in a blender. Add the mustard, mayonnaise, and jalapeno chile.

Cut the avocado in half lengthwise and discard the pit. Scoop out the flesh and transfer to the blender with the chile mixture. Puree for about 1 minute, and then cover with plastic wrap. Set the puree in the blender aside until the garlic finishes roasting and cooling.

To make the reduction, add the bacon to a large fireproof non-stick skillet and cook on the grill over high heat until crispy, about 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Discard all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat from the pan and add the shallots. Return the pan to the heat and cook the shallots about 5 minutes, then add the Shiraz and reduce to about 1/4 cup. Set aside.

To make the patties, discard the casings from the andouille and chop the sausage coarsely. Transfer to a food processor and pulse about 8 times, using 2-second pulses. Transfer to a mixing bowl.

Rinse the chuck and sirloin steaks under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Trim and discard any fat from the edges of the steaks. Cut the steaks into 1-inch cubes by making the first cut across the grain, and then cube the slices. Put the cubes in the food processor along with the seasoning blend, Worcestershire sauce, parsley, egg, pepper sauce, and the wine-reduction mixture. Pulse 10 times, using 2-second pulses. Once ground coarsely, add the ground andouille and pulse another 3 times with 2-second pulses. Transfer the mixture to a work surface and mix well with your hands.

Roll the ground meat mixture into a log shape. Divide the log in half and then divide each half into thirds to make 6 patties of the same size. Form patties that are about 1 inch thick and about 3/4 inches larger in diameter than the bun; the meat will shrink so that it is just slightly bigger than the bun. Combine the salt, pepper, and cayenne in a spice jar and sprinkle the mixture on both sides of the patties.

Clean the grill rack again with a wire brush. Using tongs, dip a paper towel in the oil and coat the grill rack. Place the patties on the direct-heat side and cook for 2 minutes, then rotate the patties 45 degrees and cook another 2 minutes to make the signature cross-hatch marks on the meat. Flip the patties over and repeat the process. Total cooking time should be about 8 minutes.

When the garlic bulb is cooled, squeeze it from the bottom to release all of the cloves. Discard the papery skins, and then use the back of a knife to mash the cloves into a paste.

To make the cheese topping, combine the Gorgonzola, cream cheese, and half of the roasted garlic paste in a large fireproof skillet and place on the coolest part of the grill to warm through. Remove from the grill and stir with a spatula to blend thoroughly.

Add the remaining half of the garlic paste to the pureed chile-avocado mixture in the blender and blend for about 1 minute. Transfer the mixture to a bowl.

Drizzle the 1 tablespoon oil over the onion slices and place on the grill during the final 7 minutes of cooking. Turn after 3 minutes. Toast the buns on the cooler side of the grill during the final 3 minutes of cooking, being careful not to overcook.

To assemble the burgers, spread the cheese mixture over both cut sides of the buns. Add 4 to 5 slivers of pickled okra to the bottom half of each bun, and then add the patties. Spread about 1 tablespoon of the avocado sauce over each patty. Cut the grilled onion slices into eighths to get bite-sized pieces and scatter 1 to 2 tablespoons of the onion over the sauce on each patty. Top the onion on each patty with a portion of the baby greens followed with about 1 tablespoon of the sauce. Finally, add 2 strips of the bacon to each burger followed by the bun tops.