Mexican Corn Burgers with Pickled Jicama

Pairs well with:

Zinfandel

Bright and full-bodied, this Zinfandel wine is a curious contradiction in tastes.

My mother has lived in Mexico for years, teaching English.When I walk down the street, the smell of meat and Mexican spices are everywhere. I wanted to make a hamburger that made you think about all of the wonderful food the country has to offer. A burger that makes you salivate when you think about it.

Ingredients:

Pickled Jicama

1 small jicama
3 Tablespoon sugar
1/2 Cup unseasoned rice wine vinegar or white vinegar
1/3 Cup Sutter Home Zinfandel wine
2/3 Cup water
1 teaspoon Tabasco chipotle pepper sauce
5 quarter size slices of fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt

Patties

2 pounds ground chuck
3 ounces chorizo sausage
1/2 Cup frozen baby or sweet corn–thawed and drained
1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 1/2 Tablespoons Tabasco chipotle pepper sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Cilantro Chipoltle Mayonnaise

1/2 Cup Best Foods or Hellmann’s brand Mayonnaise
2 1/2 Tablespoon Tabasco chipotle pepper sauce
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 Tablespoon finely chopped cilantro

Grilled Lime Avocados

3 firm avocados
2 1/2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
drizzle of olive oil

6 high quality soft buns or rolls, split
6 thick slices pepper jack cheese
vegetable oil for brushing the rack

Instructions:

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

Peel and cut the jicama into 4-5 inch thin matchsticks. Heat the sugar, vinegar, wine, water, Tabasco, ginger, and salt in a fire proof sauce pan until the liquid is hot, but not boiling. Pour the liquid over the jicama, making sure to cover all the pieces, and let it sit for at least one hour.

To make the patties, first remove the chorizo from its casing, crumble into small pieces, and then use a knife to cut into finely chopped pieces. In a large bowl, combine the chuck, chorizo, corn, Tabasco, onion powder, oregano, cumin, and salt. Mix well, handling as little as possible to avoid compaction it. Divide the mixture into 6 equal size portions, form into patties to fit the buns and depress the centers for even cooking. Cover and refrigerate until ready to grill.

To make the mayonnaise, combine the mayonnaise, Tabasco, pepper, and cilantro in a small bowl and mix well. Cover and refrigerate until you assemble the patties.

Cut the avocados into quarters, remove the skin and place in a small bowl. Season with 2 Tablespoons of fresh lime juice, salt, and just enough olive oil to coat the avocados. Cover until you are ready to grill.

When the grill is ready, brush the grill rack with vegetable oil to prevent sticking. Place the avocados on the outer edge of the grill rack and place the patties on the hottest part of the grill, and cook with the lid down until done preference, or about 5-7 minutes each side for medium. Flip the patties and the avocados once, and place a cheese slice covering the top of each patty. Close the lid again and cook for another 5-7 minutes.

During the last few minutes of cooking, remove the avocados from the grill and place the buns cut side down on the outer edges of the rack, to toast lightly. Cut the avocado into thin slices and place into a bowl. Add the last 1/2 teaspoon of lime juice and toss. Once the burgers and buns are finished cooking, they are ready to be put together.

To assemble the burgers, spread the toasted sides of the bun with mayonnaise. Top the bottom bun with a row of the pickled jicama, the burger on top of it with the cheese side up, the slices of avocado, and the bun top with the mayonnaise side down. Now you are ready to eat!

Makes 6 burgers