Chile Relleno Burgers with Merlot Onions and Roasted Corn and Avocado Salsa

Pairs well with:

Merlot

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

My family loves chile rellenos and stuffed burgers and my daughter suggested we put the two together!

Ingredients:

Merlot Onions:
2 medium sized yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ cup Sutter Home Merlot
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Roasted Corn and Avocado Salsa:
2 ears of corn
2 California Haas avocados, cubed
½ cup chopped red onion
3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
Juice of one lime
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
¼ teaspoon Tabasco Pepper Sauce
Patties:
3 pounds ground chuck, 80% fat
2 7-ounce cans whole, mild green chilies (May use 6 fresh roasted green chilies)
10 ounces Monterey Jack Cheese (block style), cut into ¼ inch thick slices
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Buns:
6 Bolillo rolls, split (a French roll shaped similar to a football)
2 tablespoons butter, softened
3 tablespoons mayonnaise

Instructions:

Pre-heat a gas grill to medium.
To make Merlot onions, melt butter in a fireproof skillet. Add olive oil and onions. Cook until onions are golden and almost caramelized, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add Merlot, salt and peeper. Cook for 5 more minutes to allow the wine to reduce. Cover the pan with foil to keep warm. May reheat before serving.
To make salsa, roast ears of corn over medium heat on the top rack of the gas grill, turning every few minutes until soft and slightly blackened, about 15 minutes, or put directly on lowest rack for about 7 minutes. Let corn cool. Remove corn from ear. Combine all ingredients for the salsa in a bowl and refrigerate until needed.
To make patties, first split green chilies lengthwise on one side, remove seeds and drain. Place the 6, ¼ inch thick slices of jack cheese inside the 6 green chilies. Divide meat into 6 equal portions and form into a ball. Place one ball in between two pieces of wax paper set on a cutting board. Using a thick flat surface, such as a plate or small cutting board, flatten the meat into a circle approximately, 6.5 inches in diameter. Lay stuffed green chile on lower half of the flattened meat patty. Fold the meat patty in half over the stuffed green chile and gently seal all sides. Repeat this process for the remaining 5 burgers. The finished patty shape should resemble the bun shape.
Turn the gas grill up to medium high and brush the grill rack with vegetable oil. Place the patties on the rack, cover and cook, turning once until desired doneness, 6 minutes a side for medium-rare.
To prepare buns, spread softened butter on buns and toast lightly on the top rack of grill, watching closely as to not burn them.
To assemble burgers, brush both sides of the toasted buns with mayonnaise and divide Merlot onions equally among the bottom side of the six buns. Then top each bun with a meat patty, top with salsa and bun top.