CHEESE FILLED SUPREME ITALIAN HAMBURGER (REVISED!!!)

Pairs well with:

Merlot

Get cozy and get pouring. Our Merlot is the wine for long weekends and lengthy chats.

I love to make pizza and I love Italian spices, so I decided why not try a hamburger?Please note this is a revision of the one sent last 8/27, but a made a couple of corrections… thanks!!

Ingredients:

Mushroom topping:

1/2 teaspoon olive oil

1/2 ounce (1 big clove) thoroughly minced garlic

2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons of Sutter Home merlot red wine

½ tablespoon of balsamic vinegar

16 ounces of sliced raw fresh mushrooms

¼ teaspoon of pepper

Patties:

– 10 ounces of mozzarella cheese at room temperature (DO NOT MIX WITH THE BELOW!)

¼ teaspoon olive oil (for the onion)

6 ounces of finely chopped white onion

1 finely chopped Roma tomato (around 4 ounces)

4 tablespoons finely chopped pre-sliced salad green olives (the pre-sliced with pimento in)

6 ounces finely chopped green bell pepper

4 ounces (around 4 slices) finely chopped oven baked turkey ham slices (thigh meat)

1 ounce (2 big cloves) thoroughly minced garlic

1 teaspoon garlic powder (combining fresh and powder garlic gives a great taste!)

1 tablespoon dry oregano

1 tablespoon dry basil

1/2 cup of pulverized (in the blender) corn flakes (yeap! Instead of regular bread crumbs)

4 tablespoons of classic pasta tomato sauce

1 tablespoon of the adobe of chipotle peppers (no full peppers though)

1 tablespoon salt

½ teaspoon brown sugar

2 teaspoons pepper

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 uncooked eggs

2 pounds 80-20% ground chuck (keep meat in the fridge until the last minute, patties form better)

Bread, condiments and toppings:

6 slices of Swiss cheese (around 5 ounces)

6 big white regular hamburger buns at room temperature (no sesame seeds)

A little saucer with 4 tablespoons of olive oil (and a brush)

6 teaspoons mayonnaise (1 teaspoon per bun)

3 ounces of sliced pepperoni (around 60 slices)

around 60 baby spinach leaves

3 sliced Roma tomatoes of around 4 ounces each (1/4″ thick slices)

Instructions:

First, preparing the mushrooms:

Set grill to medium high heat (preheat a few minutes).

Using a fireproof pan, grease it with the ½ teaspoon of olive oil and pre-heat on grill for a few minutes. Once it’s hot (you can throw a drop of water, if it hisses, it’s ready) add the 1 ounce of minced garlic and let cook for 2 minutes mixing constantly. Next add the Worcestershire sauce, the red wine, the mushrooms and the vinegar and mix them together. Last add the pepper. Cook uncovered stirring occasionally until the juices are almost dry and the mushrooms look dark.

Now take the 10 ounces of mozzarella cheese (room temperature), cut into 6 pieces. Place cheese a little close to the heat of the grill, to be able to shape them with your hands into 6 little balls. Press the balls slightly to make them flat and stick them in the freezer for 15 minutes.

To make the patties:

Take a fireproof pan and lightly grease it with the ¼ teaspoon of olive oil. Preheat for a few minutes and then add the chopped onion. Cook uncovered in the grill on same medium high heat for a few minutes until they begin to look translucent. Remove from grill.

Now combine in a mixing bowl the chopped tomato, the chopped olives, chopped bell pepper, chopped turkey ham, the minced garlic, the garlic powder, the basil, the oregano, the pulverized cereal, the pasta sauce, the chipotle adobe, the salt, the sugar, the pepper, the Worcestershire sauce, and the eggs. Throw in the chopped onion and finally take out the ground chuck from fridge and add. Mix together completely, remembering not to over handle the mix. Divide into 6 portions. Take each portion into your hand put the mozzarella cheese ball in the middle sort of pushing it down into the meat and form the patties around it in until cheese is completely covered.

With brush, smear olive oil on the grill and very lightly brush the patties too and set them on the already hot grill for around 5 minutes on each side (turn once only). Patty needs to feel a little sturdy before turning to the other side, make sure it doesn’t fall apart, that means it’s not ready. Both sides need show some brown. Once patty is done, but still on the grill, put around 8 mushroom slices on top and immediately the slice of Swiss cheese over it for the mushrooms to be trapped and not fall off. 30 seconds is enough for cheese to melt a little, remove from grill.

Cook and prepare all 6 patties like this and wrap them in aluminum foil until you assemble them, you can go on with the bread in the meantime.

Warming the bread and assembling the burger:

Open the bread buns and smear all sides/ faces using the brush with olive oil. Set on the grill on each face until lightly brown. Remove from grill.

Smear 1 teaspoon of mayonnaise on the bottom bun (on the inside), place 8 pepperonis, next place around 10 to 15 spinach leaves, 3 slices of tomato (spread them out), set the beef patties on top and last crown with the top bun.

ENJOY!!!