Avocado-Relished Bacon Cheeseburgers

Pairs well with:

Zinfandel

Bright and full-bodied, this Zinfandel wine is a curious contradiction in tastes.

Ingredients:

Patties:
2 pounds ground chuck
1 yellow onion, minced
2 – 2 ounce jars diced pimientos, drained
2 tablespoons Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 tablespoons Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

Avocado Relish:
1 large Hass ripe avocado, halved and pitted
1 tablespoon lime juice
3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced
1/2 cup sliced water chestnuts, diced
2/3 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

Vegetable oil to brush on grill
12 slices Canadian bacon, fully cooked
12 slices Provolone cheese, thinly sliced and non-smoked
6 Kaiser rolls, corn-dusted, split
6 Heart of Romaine lettuce leaves

Instructions:

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

To make the Patties: in a large bowl crumble the chuck. Add the onion, pimientos, olive oil, Worcestershire Sauce, salt and pepper. Gently combine, handling the mixture as little as possible to prevent compacting. Form into 6 patties, cover with foil, and refrigerate until ready to grill.

To prepare the Relish: scoop the flesh of the avocado into a small mixing bowl. Add the lime juice and, using a fork, mash the two together vigorously until smooth. Add the garlic, water chestnuts, salt and pepper and combine thoroughly. Cover lightly with foil and set aside.

Brush the grill rack with vegetable oil. Place the patties on the rack and cook for 3 minutes, then place the bacon slices on the rack. Close the cover, cook the bacon with the patties for 1 minute. Open the cover, flip the bacon and cook both another minute with the cover closed. After 5 minutes of cooking, flip the patties and place 2 slices of bacon on each patty. Close the cover and cook for 3 minutes. Open the cover and put 2 slices of cheese on each bacon-topped patty. Arrange the rolls, cut sides down, along the outer edges of the rack to toast. Close the cover and cook for 2-3 minutes, checking if the cheese has melted and the rolls are lightly toasted.

To assemble the Burgers: place a lettuce leaf on each roll bottom, followed by a patty. Divide the relish on to the cut sides of the roll tops and place, cut sides down, over the patties. That’s it. You’ve just built a better burger! Skewer the burgers before serving.