Muffaletta Burgers with Cajun Aioli and Fried Green Tomatoes

Ingredients

Burgers:
½ cup of Sutter Home Cabernet Sauvignon
2 pounds ground chuck
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup minced sweet onion
Fried Green Tomatoes:
2 large green tomatoes
1 tsp salt, plus 1 TBS
1 tsp. black pepper, freshly ground
1 cup yellow cornmeal
2/3 cup vegetable oil
Cajun Aioli:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 TBS Grey Pupon dijon mustard
1 TBS white wine
Worcestershire sauce
1 TBS Cajun Seasoning
2 TBS minced sweet onion
Vegetable oil, for greasing grill rack
Bun/Toppings: 
miniature Muffaletta-style buns
3 TBS. of olive oil
6 large Romaine lettuce leaves
12 slices of crispy bacon

Instructions

Heat the gas grill to medium-high. In a small saucepan, bring your wine to a simmer. Allow to simmer until reduced by half. Let cool. Mix your ground chuck in a large bowl with the salt, black pepper, minced onion, and reduced wine. Form 6 equal patties and set aside to rest. Wash and slice your green tomatoes into six 1/3-inch thick rings – use a mandolin if needed for precision and consistency. Lay these slices on paper towel and sprinkle with 1 tsp. of salt. Let sit for at least 30 minutes to extract some of the moisture and ensure more crispy tomatoes. Meanwhile, in a separate shallow dish, combine your remaining tablespoon of salt, black pepper, and corn meal and heat your vegetable oil in a large iron skillet on the hot grill top. Once your tomatoes have set on the paper towel for at least 30 minutes, put them in the cornmeal mix to coat and then gently place in the heated oil. Cook until each side is golden brown – about 3 minutes per side. Then remove from the oil and let drain on paper towels. While your tomatoes are resting, prepare your Cajun aioli by stirring together your mayonnaise, dijon mustard, worcestershire sauce, Cajun seasoning, and minced onion. Set aside in a covered bowl in a cool area to chill. Coat your grill rack with vegetable oil. Put your prepared burgers on the grill, flipping once carefully after 4 minutes. Cook for another 5-6 minutes for medium doneness. A couple minutes before the burgers are done, brush your miniature muffaletta buns with olive oil and put on the grill to toast slightly. When everything is ready, assemble burgers – a patty on each toasted bun bottom followed by a Romaine lettuce leaf, a fried green tomato slice, and 2 pieces of crispy bacon. Top with the Muffaletta bun top smeared with a generous helping of Cajun Aioli. Enjoy! Serves 6