Italian Pepperoni Burger with Fresh Mozzarella and Basil
An Italian Pizza with fresh ingredients and that peppery bite from the pepperoni!
Ingredients:
Olive Tapenade:
1/3 cup calamata olives cured in brine, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon Colavita extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Patties:
2 lbs. ground beef chuck
½ cup pepperoni sausage, chopped
½ cup red onion, chopped
¼ cup red bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup green bell pepper, chopped
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons Colavita olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Vegetable oil, for brushing on the grill rack
½ pound fresh buffalo mozzarella cheese sliced into 6 rounds
2 tablespoons of Colavita extra virgin olive oil, for brushing on rolls
6 Italian style sandwich rolls, split
12 large fresh Italian sweet basil leaves
Instructions:
Directions:
Preheat a gas grill to medium-high, or prepare a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill with a cover.
To make olive tapenade, in a small bowl combine olives, garlic, olive oil and pepper. Cover and set aside until assembling the burgers.
To make the patties, in a large bowl combine ground beef, pepperoni sausage, red onion, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, parmesan cheese, olive oil, salt and pepper. Incorporate with a spoon, trying to avoid compacting the mixture. Form into 6 patties and refrigerate until 30 minutes before grilling.
Brush the grill rack with oil. Place the patties on the rack, cover, and grill for 4 to 5 minutes. Once flipped, grill an additional 3 minutes before transferring patties to the outer edges of the grill surface. Place one fresh mozzarella slice atop each patty until slightly melted. Brush olive oil on each split roll. During the last few minutes of cooking, place the roll cut side down on the outer edge of the rack to toast lightly.
To assemble the burgers, spread olive tapenade mixture evenly on the cut side of each roll top. Place a patty on each roll bottom and top each patty with 2 basil leaves and roll top.