Mapuche Mango Tango Cotija Burgers (CORRECTED)

Pairs well with:

White Merlot

Imagine sipping a lighter Merlot. This fresh, pale-pink wine is a nice change from traditional red or white wines.

These burgers are basically inspired by my treasure discovery in Merken!Oh my gosh, it is so good on beef and burgers! Not quite barbecue and not quite Adobo, this seasoning brought to mind sweet and smoky onion/mango relish, cool avocado mayo and crisp shredded lettuce to complement it’s smoky, fiery nature. On ground chuck burgers, with strong, salty, cotija cheese melded into them, Merken makes me want to go to Chile and Argentina, where long ago the Mapuche people seasoned their food with this bronze colored spice grind, making it worthy of any modern day gourmet restaurant.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons Colavita Olive oil, plus more for grill and tray

2 pounds freshly ground beef chuck

6 ounces cotija cheese, grated

1 1/4 teaspoon salt, divided use

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon Merken (Chilean Mapuche Seasoning*)

1 medium sweet onion, diced (about baseball size)

1 cup diced ripe mango

1 tablespoon lemon zest

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup mashed California Avocado

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

6 large hamburger rolls, split

2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce

Instructions:

Heat grill to medium heat and coat grill rack with olive oil.

Gently combine the beef, cotija, 1 teaspoon salt and Worcestershire. Form into 6 patties (to fit the rolls, and an indention in center) and coat well with Merken.

In a bowl, drizzle onions and mango with lemon zest with 1 tablespoon olive oil and toss to mix. Spread on oiled mesh vegetable grill tray.

In a separate bowl mix mayonnaise, avocado, lemon juice, cilantro, and 1/4 teaspoon salt; reserve.

Place patties and tray of onion/mango on the grill. Cook until patties are just medium (or according to desired doneness) and onion/mango is soft and charred in places, about 5 minutes per side for burgers. Brush rolls with olive oil and grill until cuts sides are lightly crispy.

Transfer patties and rolls to plate and onion/mango to a bowl. Mix the onion-mango mixture well.

To assemble burgers, spread cut sides of the grilled rolls with the avocado mayonnaise and then shredded lettuce. Place a patty on each bottom roll portion. Spread onion-mango mixture over patties. Finish with roll tops and serve immediately.

Serves 6