Dirty Dancing Turizo Burgers

Pairs well with:

Pinot Grigio

You won’t need a bouquet of flowers when you share our Pinot Grigio. This crisp wine with floral aromas is a wonderful way to make an entrance.

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds ground turkey breast
1/2 pound ground fresh chorizo sausage
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup grated Asiago cheese
1/4 cup light molasses
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest
1 teaspoon freshly ground mixed peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup mayonnaise
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1/3 cup Colavita balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons apricot preserves
1 1/2 cups mesclun
1/4 cup chopped Vlasic dill pickles
1/4 cup chopped pitted Kalamata olives
12 slices thick-cut peppered bacon
2 to 3 tablespoons Colavita canola oil
6 1/4-inch thick large sweet onion slices
6 1/4-inch thick large orange slices (from peeled oranges, preferabley blood oranges, cut crosswise through segments)
1 medium red bell pepper
6 (1 ounce each) slices aged Swiss cheese
6 large seeded burger buns or (if you dare!) dark rye rolls
6 1/4-inch thick large tomato slices

 

Instructions

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

To make patties, combine turkey, chorizo, cranberries, Asiago, molasses, Worcestershire sauce, orange zest, peppercorns and salt in large bowl. Handling as little as possible, mix well and shape into 6 patties to fit buns. cover loosely with plastic wrap until ready to grill.

In small bowl, stir together mayonnaise, garlic and thyme. Refrigerate until ready to assemble burgers.

In another small bowl, stir together balsamic vinegar and apricot preserves.

In medium bowl, combine mesclun, pickles and olives. Drizzle with 1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar mixture. Set greens aside and reserve remaining balsamic mixture.

Place 12-inch heavy skillet on heated grill. Add bacon and cook until crisp. Remove bacon to drain on paper towels. Wrap bacon in foil to keep warm.

Brush grill rack with canola oil. Place onion and orange slices and bell pepper on grill grid. Cook onion and orange slices about 3 minutes, brushing with reserved balsamic vinegar mixture occasionally, turning once. Roast pepper until skin blackens, turning occasionally. Remove onion and orange slices, tenting loosely with foil. Place roasted pepper in paper bag, closing for a few minutes before peeling, seeding and chopping. Add chopped pepper to mesclun mixture.

Place patties on grill rack, cover and cook, turning once, until done to preference, 6 to 8 minutes per side for medium-well. Place cheese slices on patties during last 2 minutes of grilling. Place buns, cut sides down, around edges of grill rack to toast lightly during last 2 minutes of grilling.

To assemble burgers, stir mesclun mixture and arrange equal amounts on each bun bottom. Top each with tomato slice, onion slice, pattie, orange slice, two slices of bacon and equal amounts of mayonnaise mixture. Cover with bun tops. Serves 6.