Cassoulet Burgers

Pairs well with:

Chenin Blanc

This wine is bursting with crisp, refreshing fruit flavors like apple, pear, and melon, making you want to swing your legs off a dock at sunset.

Ingredients

Patties:
1/2 cup fresh French bread crumbs
3 Tablespoons Colavita extra virgin olive oil
1 Tablespoon roughly chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 pound ground pork
1/2 pound garlicky fresh pork or beef sausage, with casings removed
1/2 pound ground dark meat chicken
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup chopped sun dried tomatoes in oil, well drained
2 Tablespoons Sutter Home Pinot Noir

Rosemary-Scented White Beans:
1 Tablespoon Colavita extra virgin olive oil
2 medium garlic cloves, grated or finely chopped
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 1/3 cups canned cannelini beans, rinsed and well drained
3 Tablespoons reduced sodium chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Tomato-Basted Bacon and Onions:
9 slices thick cut bacon
2 medium yellow onions, peeled and thickly sliced
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/4 cup Sutter Home Pinot Noir
vegetable oil, for brushing on the grill rack
2 large loaves soft French bread, cut into 6, 4 to 5 inch long pieces and split

 

Instructions

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

To prepare the patties: Place bread crumbs, olive oil and thyme in a large, fire-safe nonstick skillet and cook on the grill, stirring frequently, until crumbs are golden brown and crispy, about 5 to 8 minutes. Place crumbs in a large bowl and cool completely. When cool, add to the crumbs the ground pork, sausage, chicken, salt, pepper, sun dried tomatoes and Pinot Noir. Gently combine and form into 6 patties sized to fit the bread pieces. Cover and refrigerate until grilling time.

To prepare the rosemary-scented white beans: Place olive oil, garlic, rosemary, beans, chicken broth and salt in a medium-sized fire-proof saucepan. Place on the grill rack and cook until beans are heated through and most of the liquid has cooked away. Coarsely mash beans with a potato masher, cover and set aside off of heat.

To make the tomato-basted bacon and onions: Place bacon slices in a large, fire-safe nonstick skillet. Top bacon with onion slices and cook, covered, on the grill until bacon is crispy and onion slices are softened, shaking pan occasionally. While bacon and onions cook, in a small bowl whisk together the tomato paste and Pinot Noir. Baste onions and bacon with tomato mixture during the last few minutes of their cooking time. Set aside and cover pan with foil to keep warm.

With the grill still medium-hot or at medium-high heat, brush the grill rack with vegetable oil. Place the patties on the rack and cook for 4 to 5 minutes on each side for medium doneness, turning once during cooking. During the last few minutes of cooking, place bread pieces cut side down on the outer edges of the grill rack to lightly toast. Uncover mashed bean mixture and return pan to the grill rack and heat just until warm, stirring frequently.

To assemble the burgers, onto each bottom piece of toasted bread, spread equal amounts of the rosemary-scented white beans. Top each with a cooked patty, equal amounts of the bacon and onions, and the bread tops.