Crispy Prosciutto, Blue Cheese, & Fig Burger

Ingredients

Fig, Balsamic, & Merlot Compote:
• 15 small dried black mission figs, quartered
• 6oz Sutter Home Merlot
• ½ cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp course ground kosher salt
• ½ tsp cracked white pepper

Stuffed Beef Patty:
• 18 oz beef sirloin
• 9 oz beef brisket
• 9 oz beef chuck
• 2 tsp course ground kosher salt
• 1 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp black truffle oil
• 1 tsp fresh chopped garlic
• 1 tsp fresh finely minced tarragon
• 12 oz crumbled blue cheese

Crispy Prosciutto & Other Flavorful Fixings:
• 2 oz thinly shaved Speck Prosciutto
• 3 medium yellow peppers, roasted, cleaned, & julienned
• 9 oz watercress, washed & spun

Tasty Toasty Bun:
• 6 sesame seed buns
• ¾ cup butter

Instructions

To Build the Fig, Balsamic, & Merlot Compote:
Begin by preparing the figs; flatten out each fig (pressing the fig against a cutting board with the blade of a knife works well) continue by cutting off any remaining stem on the north pole of each fig, finally quarter each fig. In a medium saucepan, on the grill, combine Sutter Home Merlot, balsamic vinegar, figs, salt and pepper. Warm over medium-low heat to a light simmer, continue heating for about 10 minutes, keeping the edges from burning, until reduced to a maple syrup consistency, remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Place the still warm reduction in food processor and pulse for 3 seconds, 4 to 5 times, until reaching a consistency similar to fruit preserves, with no distinguishable clumps. Return the compote to the saucepan; keep warm, set-aside until assembly.

To Build the Stuffed Beef Patty:
Using beef sirloin, brisket, and chuck builds a full well rounded beef flavor, yet still adds enough fat, to create a juicy burger, and help the patty stay together. In addition to great flavor, grinding your own meats from whole cuts helps to prevent the spread of bacteria occasionally found in factory packaged ground beef. If you don’t have your own meat grinder, have your local meat department grind it for you, making sure they grind the three cuts of beef altogether, alternating each to fully mix the beef.
In a large bowl gather and combine all ingredients for the patty, except the blue cheese. Mix everything together, handling as little as possible, ensuring juicy, fluffy beef patties. Divide into 6 equal portions (each will be about 6 ounces) slightly flatten out the patty; pack approximately 2 oz of the crumbled blue cheese in the center of each patty. Fold the patties over and shape into a juicy, succulent burger, stuffing each patty with aged blue cheese. Set all patties aside until grilling.

To Make Prosciutto Even Better:
Slice each piece of prosciutto in half, attempting to make two equal square-ish pieces. Set-aside until ready to grill, begin to salivate.

To Prepare the Flavorful Fixings:
Place all three yellow peppers on the grill; char the entire outer skin on all three of the peppers. Remove from heat and allow to stand for 10 15 minutes to cool down. Once cooled peel away the skin and clean each pepper, removing the stem and any seeds. Lay each pepper out flat and julienne into thin strips.
Remove any stems so only the watercress leaves remain. Wash the leaves under cold water, spin in salad spinner. Place watercress in a side bowl, with a moist paper towel over the top, set-aside until assembly, continue salivating.

To Grill and Build a Better Burger:
To prepare the grill, begin by turning the entire grill to high heat. Use a clean grill brush to remove any build up or remaining residue. Cut an onion in half at the equator and skewer one side with a grill fork. Fill a shallow glass with vegetable oil, dip the onion in the oil, use it to brush and oil the grill.
Heat half the grill to medium high heat, and half the grill to medium heat. Place each patty on the medium high heat side of the grill, cook to your own personal preference, cooking each side for approximately 3-6 minutes, about 3½ – 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. While the burgers are cooking, spread each sesame seed bun with a generous layer of butter and place on the medium heat side of the grill. Toast for about 3-5 minutes, being careful not to burn. When the buns finish toasting transfer to indirect heat to keep warm. Once the buns are out of the way, place a grill tray on the medium heat side of the grill and grease in the same manner as mentioned above. Place the prosciutto on the greased grill pan (Thin prosciutto will cook very quickly) cook 1 minute on the first side, and 30-45 seconds on the second side, just until the meat turns opaque, without burning. Remove from heat and set aside momentarily, cooling allows the prosciutto to crisp up nicely. Make sure not to ignore the burgers, removing when finished cooking.
To build a better burger; place the patty on a thin layer of roasted yellow peppers on the bottom bun. Top the patty with few pieces of crispy prosciutto, covering the whole beef patty (or at least using whatever is left after snacking on it, just one more piece please?); pile on a handful of fresh washed watercress. Spread a generous layer of the fig, balsamic, and merlot compote on the top bun, and place on top of the delicious towering burger. Slice the whole burger in half, and use a deli toothpick to hold together each half of the burgers. That is how you build a better burger, you may stop salivating and enjoy now!