Manchac Burger with Remoulade Sauce (resubmitted due to possible computer errors)

Pairs well with:

Merlot

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

As Bayou Manchac flows from Ascension Parish to Ponchatrain to the Gulf, it passes a myriad of cultures that blend flavorful local ingredients indigenous to their heritage and South Louisiana –Spanish, French, Italian, African, and Spanish.This burger encompasses many of these local bold ingredients and traditions from smoked tasso and cayenne to a soothing Remoulade and Creole tomatoes.

Ingredients:

Remoulade Ingredients:

1 cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lime juice

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons Creole mustard

2 teaspoons paprika

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 ½ tablespoons fresh horseradish, minced

4 green onions, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced

2 tablespoons fresh tarragon, minced

1 tablespoon fresh thyme, minced

½ cup finely chopped onion

½ cup finely chopped red bell pepper

Garlic Butter:

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

1 clove garlic, minced

1 dash red pepper sauce (Tabasco preferred)

Manchac Burger ingredients:

2 ¼ pounds ground chuck

6 ounces tasso, finely chopped

½ cup finely chopped onion

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 ½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

½ teaspoon cayenne

Vegetable oil for brushing on the grill rack

6 (1/4 inch thick) slices medium cheddar cheese

6 (1/4 inch thick) slices pepper Jack cheese

6 crusty Po-boy buns

4 cups shredded iceberg lettuce

12 thin slices Creole tomatoes

Instructions:

Preheat gas grill to medium-high heat.

To make the remoulade sauce: In a food processor, add the mayonnaise, salt, lime juice, Dijon mustard, Creole mustard, paprika, garlic, and horseradish. Process until smooth. Add the green onions, parsley, tarragon, thyme, onion, and red bell pepper; pulse to mix but not pureed. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

To prepare the garlic butter: Combine the butter, garlic, and pepper sauce in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate until serving.

To prepare the patties: In a large bowl, gently combine the ground chuck, tasso, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Shape into “oval” rectangles approximately 6 inches by 3 inches (shaped to fit the size of the buns).

Brush the grill rack with the vegetable oil and place the patties on the rack crosswise over the grates. Cover the grill and cook the patties for four minutes. Turn the patties and continue grilling for an additional four minutes or your preferred degrees on doneness (with internal temperature of at least 160 degrees F). During the last few minutes of cooking, top each patty with a slice of cheddar cheese and a slice of pepper Jack cheese. Place the cut side down of the buns on the outer edges of the rack to lightly toast.

To assemble the Manchac Burger, spread a generous amount of the garlic butter and remoulade sauce over the cut sides of the buns. On each roll bottom, place a patty with melted cheeses, shredded lettuce, and two slices of Creole tomato. Add the bun tops, cut in half and serve.

Makes 6 burgers