Southern Andouille Burgers with Mirliton Slaw and Fried Green Tomatoes

Pairs well with:

Pinot Grigio

You won’t need a bouquet of flowers when you share our Pinot Grigio. This crisp wine with floral aromas is a wonderful way to make an entrance.

Warm calm breezes, burgers smoking on pits under shadetrees, foods frying, bowls of cold salads, slaws and ice cream, children running, and back porch family visits are fond memories of my Southern childhood. The bold and intense flavors of the andouille sausage and rich beef, combined with seasonal fresh vegetables are traditional South Louisiana ingredients to create this spicy and savory, “jazzed-up” regional burger.

Ingredients:

Andouille Burger Patty ingredients:

2 ¼ pounds ground chuck

6 ounces andouille sausage, finely chopped

½ cup finely chopped green onion

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 ½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

½ teaspoon cayenne

Mirliton Slaw ingredients:

2 mirlitons, seeded and julienned

1 ½ teaspoons salt, divided

1 cup shredded green cabbage

1 red bell pepper, seeded and julienned

1 jalapeño, seeded and minced

4 green onions, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice

1 teaspoon Creole mustard

¾ cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon chopped capers

¼ teaspoon crushed red peppers

1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Creole Mayonnaise Ingredients:

½ cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon Creole Mustard

Fried Green Tomatoes ingredients:

6 (1/4 inch thick) slices fresh green tomatoes

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper

1 ½ cups flour

1 tablespoon cornstarch

3 eggs

2 tablespoons milk

1 ½ cups yellow cornmeal

¼ teaspoon cayenne

1 ½ cups vegetable oil

Vegetable oil for brushing on the grill rack

6 (1/4 inch thick) slices provolone cheese

6 Romaine lettuce leafs, torn to fit buns

6 large hamburger buns

Instructions:

Preheat gas grill to medium heat.

To prepare the Andouille Beef Burger patties: In a large bowl, combine the ground chuck, andouille sausage, green onions, garlic, salt, pepper and cayenne. With your hands or a large spoon, gently mix well, handling the meat as little as possible to prevent compacting it. Form into 6 equal-sized patties sized to fit the buns.

To prepare the Mirliton Slaw: Place the julienned mirlitons in a colander and sprinkle with one teaspoon salt. Let excess moisture from the mirlitons drain over paper towels for 15 – 20 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the julienned mirlitons, remaining salt, cabbage, red bell pepper, jalapeño, and green onions.

In a small bowl, whisk together the red wine vinegar, lemon juice, Creole mustard, mayonnaise, capers, crushed red peppers and ground black pepper.

Just before serving, mix the dressing with the vegetables.

To prepare the Creole Mayonnaise, combine the mayonnaise and Creole mustard in a small bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve.

To prepare the Fried Green Tomatoes: Season the tomatoes with salt and pepper. In a medium shallow bowl, combine half of the flour and all of the cornstarch. In a second medium shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk. In a third, medium shallow bowl, combine the remaining flour, cornmeal, and cayenne. Coat each slice of tomato in the flour mixture. Dip each slice in the egg mixture and finally, coat each slice with the cornmeal mixture.

Heat ¾ cup of oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat of the grill. When the oil is hot, pan-fry three of the tomato slices until golden both sides. Remove the fried green tomatoes to a paper towel to drain. Add the remaining oil to the skillet and when the oil is hot, repeat with the remaining three tomato slices.

Increase the grill heat to medium high.

To grill the Andouille Beef Patties: Brush the grill rack with vegetable oil and place the Andouille Beef patties on the rack. 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 provolone cheese and place the cut side of the buns down on the outer edges of the grill rack to lightly toast.

To assemble the burgers, spread a generous amount of the Creole Mayonnaise over the cut sides of the buns. On each bun bottom, place a Romaine lettuce leaf, a burger patty with cheese, a fried green tomato, and equal amounts of the Mirliton Slaw. Add the bun tops and serve.

Makes 6 burgers