American North Coast Burger (with Bacon, Braised Collard Greens, and Mustard Horseradish Sauce)

Cleveland, located on what is sometimes referred to as the American North Coast, experienced a population surge of African Americans during the Great Migration after World War I.Most of these African Americans came from rural areas of the South, and brought their cooking traditions to the city, which remain and continue to evolve today. The burger recipe presented here celebrates some of these traditions brought here nearly a century ago, focusing largely on simple ingredients carefully prepared as a meal to share with family and friends.

Ingredients:

PATTIES
2 pounds freshly ground chuck
1 and a half tablespoons ground cumin
1 and a half tablespoons ground coriander
quarter teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

BRAISED GREENS
6 slices thick cut bacon
1 bunch collards (about 1 pound), center stems removed
three quarters cup Sutter Home Chenin Blanc
half small red onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
quarter teaspoon ground thyme
half tablespoon dark brown sugar
half teaspoon salt
half teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

MUSTARD HORSERADISH SAUCE
3 tablespoons Grey Poupon harvest coarse ground mustard
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
quarter teaspoon ground clove

2-3 tablespoons vegetable oil for brushing on the grill rack
6 deli-quality hamburger buns, split

Instructions:

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

To make the patties, combine the chuck, cumin, coriander, crushed red pepper, salt, and pepper in a large bowl, handling as little as possible. Shape into 6 patties to fit the bun size. Cover and set aside.

To make the braised greens, rinse them and pat dry. Stack the leaves, roll together, and cut into half-inch ribbons. Set aside. Place the bacon slices in a large lidded skillet on the grill. Cook until most of the fat is rendered, about 5 minutes. Remove the bacon from the skillet and set aside. Add the collard greens to the bacon fat remaining in the skillet, turning to coat and soften, about 2 minutes. Carefully add the wine over the greens, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally and briefly removing from heat as needed to prevent scorching. Add the onion, garlic, vinegar, thyme, brown sugar, salt, and pepper, and cook about 15-20 minutes more until the greens are tender. Set aside.

To make the horseradish mustard sauce, thoroughly combine the mustard, horseradish, mayonnaise, paprika, and clove in a small dish and set aside.

Brush the grill rack with vegetable oil. Place the patties on the rack, cover, and cook, turning once, until done to preference, about 5-7 minutes on each side for medium. Place the buns, cut side down, on the outer edges of the rack to toast lightly during the last 2 minutes of grilling.

To assemble the burgers, spread a generous portion of the mustard horseradish sauce on the cut side of each of the bun tops. On each bun bottom, place equal portions of the braised greens mixture, followed by a grilled patty and a split slice of bacon. Add the bun tops and serve.