REAL HICKORY SMOKED BURGERS WITH APRICOT, JICAMA, PINEAPPLE AND PAPAYA VINAIGRETTE SLAW AND SMOKED BRIE CHEESE

Pairs well with:

Sauvignon Blanc

With hints of passion fruit, melon, and citrus, this wine beckons you to kick back and find a perfect porch swing.

I love the taste of hickory smoke.Where there is good smoke, there is good BBQ. There is nothing like the smell of wood burning for hours in someone’s backyard. The smoke permeates the entire neighborhood. I wanted to create a burger that captured the natural hickory smoke without the long slow heated process of smoking. I created a cold smoke process using the BBQ grill and ice baths to add a natural hickory smoke to the cabbage and chuck. Enjoy this natural smoked burger.

Ingredients:

Ingredients:

Apricot, Jicama, Pineapple, and Papaya Vinaigrette Slaw:

Garlic Juice Wine Reduction:
2/3 cup pineapple juice (such as R.W Knudsen Pineapple Nectar)
2/3 cup papaya nectar juice (such as R.W. Knudsen Papaya Nectar)
2 Tablespoons Sutter Home Sauvignon Blanc
1 Tablespoon honey
1 clove garlic, smashed

1/2 cup Garlic Juice Wine reduction (from above)
2 Tablespoons Seasoned rice vinegar
2 Tablespoons Sutter Home Sauvignon Blanc
2 teaspoons honey
1 Tablespoons Colavita Extra Virgin Olive oil
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

3 cups Napa cabbage, shredded and cold smoked (see directions for cold smoking process)
2/3 cups dried apricots, sliced thinly
2/3 cups Jicama, sliced matched stick size
2/3 cups red pepper, sliced matched stick size
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Garlic Pineapple Balsamic Reduction:

1 cups Colavita Aged Balsamic Vinegar, (Sweet Vinegar of Modena)
1/3 cup pineapple juice (such as R.W Knudsen Pineapple Nectar)
3 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 Tablespoon honey
1 garlic clove, smashed

Patties:

2 pounds ground chuck, cold smoked (see directions for cold smoking process)
1/3 cup Garlic Pineapple Balsamic reduction (from above)
3 garlic cloves chopped
2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

12 slices smoked bacon

Colavita Extra Virgin Olive oil, for brushing the grill rack and buns.

6 slices Smoked Brie cheese, each 1/4 inch thick

6 Brioche hamburger buns, split

Instructions:

Directions:

To cold smoke the cabbage and ground chuck, place about 2 cups of dry hickory wood (small pieces) in a small aluminum pan on the grill. Using a kitchen blow torch, ignite the hickory wood. Once the hickory wood is burning well, using a small water spray bottle, gently mist the hickory wood putting out the flame and to get the wood smoking. Next in a large aluminum pan place about 8 cups of ice and place the ice bath pan on the rack next to the smoking hickory wood. Place the shredded cabbage and ground chuck in two separate smaller aluminum pans and place them in the ice bath pan. Close the lid on the grill and cold smoke for 10 minutes. Keep the grill lid closed for the entire 10 minutes of cold smoking. Remove the cabbage and ground chuck and set aside in a refrigerator.

Prepare a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill with a cover, or preheat a gas grill to medium-high. Place a medium fireproof skillet on the rack.

To make the Garlic- Juice-Wine Reduction for the vinaigrette, add the pineapple juice, papaya juice, Sauvignon Blanc, honey and garlic to the preheated medium skillet. Stir frequently and reduce for 10 to 20 minutes or until you have about 1/2 cup of liquid reduction remaining. Remove the smashed garlic clove from the reduction. Set the reduction to aside.

To make the vinaigrette, in a small bowl whisk together the Garlic Juice Wine reduction, rice vinegar, Sauvignon Blanc, honey, olive oil, Dijon mustard, kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. Set the reduction to aside to cool to room temperature.

To make the slaw, in a medium size bowl add the cold smoked cabbage, apricots, jicama, red peppers, and cilantro. Gently toss together and set aside in a refrigerator.

To make the Garlic Pineapple Balsamic reduction, place a medium fireproof skillet on the grill over medium-high heat. Next add the balsamic, pineapple juice, brown sugar, honey and smashed garlic clove. Stir frequently and reduce for 10 to 20 minutes or until you have about 3/4 cup of liquid reduction remaining. Remove the smashed garlic clove from the reduction. Set the liquid reduction aside to cool to room temperature.

Place large iron skillet on the rack to preheat for the bacon over medium-high heat.

To cook the bacon, Place the bacon in the preheated iron skillet. Cook the bacon until crisp about 5 to 7 minutes a side. Remove the bacon and drain on a paper towels. Cover the bacon with aluminum foil and keep warm. Remove the skillet from the grill.

To prepare the patties, In a large bowl, place the cold smoked chuck, Garlic Pineapple Balsamic reduction, garlic, salt and pepper. Handling the meat as little as possible to avoid compacting it. Gently mix together using a large spoon. Form into 6 patties with a thumb dimple in the center of each patty and refrigerate until ready to grill.

Brush the grill rack with olive oil. Place the patties on the grill, cover and cook for 5
minutes. Turn the patties, cover and continue cooking for another 5 minutes. During the last 2 to 3 minutes of grilling the patties, drizzle lightly the patties with the Garlic Pineapple Balsamic reduction and brush the buns with olive oil and place the buns, cut side down, on the outer edges of the rack and toast lightly to golden brown.

Re-whisk the vinaigrette and add it to the slaw. Gently toss the slaw and set aside.

To assemble the burger, place 2 slices of bacon on the bottom bun and add the patties. Immediately add a slice of Smoked Brie cheese and let the patties rest for 2 to 3 minutes. Next add a large dollop of the Vinaigrette slaw and drizzle with Garlic Pineapple Balsamic reduction in that order. Add the toasted bun top with wooden skewers and serve immediately.

Makes 6 burgers.