California Blues Burgers

Pairs well with:

Cabernet Sauvignon

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

Ingredients

Sautéed Onions and Mushrooms
1 large red onion, halved and thinly sliced
4 ounces Baby Bella (Portobello) mushrooms, sliced
1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
4 ounce stick (1/4 pound) of butter
California Blues Spread
2 ripe California avocados
3 tablespoons Blue Cheese salad dressing (chunky style preferred) ½ teaspoon mustard
Patties
1 pound ground chuck
1 pound ground sirloin (may substitute 2 lb fresh ground 70% lean hamburger)
1 cup minced red onion
2 tablespoons minced fresh garlic
1/4 cup Sutter Home Cabernet
1 cup finely crumbled blue cheese
2 tablespoons  Steak Spice
Colavita virgin olive oil, for brushing on the grill rack
6 burger-sized slices pepper jack cheese
6 onion hamburger buns
6 fresh, crisp, washed romaine lettuce leaves

 

Instructions

Prepare a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill with a cover, or preheat a gas grill to medium-high. To make the sautéed onions and mushrooms, combine the butter, onion, garlic, and mushrooms in a 10-inch nonstick, fire-proof skillet, cover with a lid, and place on the grill rack. Cook the onion, garlic, and mushroom mixture for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent to just beginning to turn golden brown. Remove the pan from the grill, drain off and save the extra butter, and set aside. To make the California Blues spread, mash the avocados until smooth, and combine the Blue cheese salad dressing and the Grey Poupon Mustard, mix well, and set aside. To make the patties, combine the chuck, sirloin, onion, Cabernet, garlic, blue cheese, and Montreal Steak Spice in a large bowl. Mix well, but handle the meat as little as possible to avoid compacting it. (Using a “tossing” technique instead of a “kneading” technique will mix ingredients well) Divide the mixture into 6 equal portions and form the portions into patties to fit the hamburger buns. When the grill is ready, brush the grill rack with vegetable oil. Place the patties on the rack, cover, and cook, turning once, until done to preference, 4 to 5 minutes each side for medium rare, 5 to 7 minutes on each side for medium. During this time open and brush the cut sides of the hamburger buns well and the outsides of the buns lightly with the saved butter, and then during the final 1 to 2 minutes of grilling place the buns, cut side down, on the grill beside the burger patties. Allow the buns to toast and brown very lightly and then remove from the grill and set aside. In the final few seconds of grilling place a burger-sized slice of pepper jack cheese on top of each patty and allow to melt. When the patties are cooked, remove from the grill, covering them to keep warm. To assemble the burgers, spread a generous amount of the California Blues Spread over the cut sides of the buns. On each bun bottom, place a lettuce leaf torn to the size of the bun, a patty, and an equal portion of the sautéed onions and mushrooms. Add the bun tops and serve while hot. Makes 6 burgers