Bleu Zin

Ingredients

3 pieces of white bread
1 bottle Sutter Homes Red Zinfandel (to be used throughout recipe)
1lb ground chuck
1lb ground sirloin
1 Tbls. course sea salt
1 tsp. fresh ground pepper
6 slices precooked bacon
1 Shallot
¼ cup butter
2 Tbls. good Balsamic Vinegar
¼ cup butter room temperature
4 oz. package crumbled bleu cheese
Vegetable Oil, for grill rack
3 Tbls. All-purpose flour
Colavita Olive Oil 6
ciabatta buns from local bakery sliced or ciabatta bread cut into bun shapes
sliced Lettuce

Instructions

Preheat a gas grill to medium-high. Cut the crusts from the white bread and discard the crusts. Place the crust free white bread into a ramekin. Add 6 Tbls. of Zinfandel and combined until a creamy paste is formed. Set aside. To make the patties, combine the chuck, sirloin, 3 Tbls. of Zinfandel, salt, ground pepper, and paste mixture in a large bowl. Handling the meat as little as possible to avoid compaction, mix well. Divide the mixture into 6 equal portions and form the portions into patties to fit the buns. Place the patties in a refrigerator or cooler to keep cool before grilling. Place the bacon into a skillet and cook over grill until bacon is crispy. Cut the shallot into small pieces while bacon is cooking. Remove bacon from the pan, cover with aluminum, and set aside. Add the shallot and ¼ cup butter to skillet and cook till shallots are translucent. Add 1½ cups Zinfandel and the Balsamic Vinegar to the skillet. Cover the grill and reduce mixture. While the sauce is reducing, mix the ¼ cup room temperature butter and the bleu cheese in a ramekin. Set aside bleu cheese butter for later. Stir remaining Zinfandel into the skillet and continue reducing. When the grill is ready, brush the grill rack with vegetable oil. Place the patties on the rack, cover, and cook, turning once. Five to seven minutes on each side for medium. Do not press on patties during cooking. During the last 2 minutes of cooking spread the bleu cheese and butter mixture evenly over each patty. When the patties are cooked, remove from the grill and cover with aluminum foil. Stir flour into the Zinfandel sauce to thicken. Remove the pan from grill and set aside. Sauce should take approx. 30 to 45 minute to make. Spread Colavita Olive Oil on the cut side of each bun with a brush. Place the buns, cut side down, on the outer edges of the grill rack to toast lightly. On each bun bottom, spread a generous amount of the Zinfandel sauce. Then place a patty bleu cheese on top, bacon, lettuce add the bun tops and serve.