Southside Sizzler with bacon jalapeno mayonnaise and onion straws.

Pairs well with:

Cabernet Sauvignon

This rich red easily complements your homemade chicken dishes, red meats, game, and mildly seasoned pastas.

Ingredients:

Patties:
1 pound Rib Eye or Delmonico steak sliced paper thin
2 pounds ground chuck
1 head roasted garlic
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 stick butter softened
2 tablespoons parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

Bacon-Jalapeno Mayonnaise:
1 cup mayonnaise
5 slices bacon chopped
1 medium size jalapeno chopped

Onion straws:
3 cups vegetable oil
2 medium onions
2 cups buttermilk
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon Creole seasoning

2 tablespoons vegetable oil, for brushing on the grill rack
6 slices sharp Cheddar cheese
12 slices Texas Toast
3 cups shredded Romaine lettuce
2 beefsteak tomatoes, sliced

Instructions:

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

To roast the garlic, remove the outer papery covering of the garlic. Slice off the top of the head so most of the cloves are exposed. Place on a square of aluminum foil and drizzle olive oil over the cloves. Fold the foil over the head to completely enclose it. Place on the grill and close lid. Roast for about 40 minutes, until the garlic is completely soft and lightly browned. Remove the cloves and place in a bowl with butter and parsley. Mix and set aside.

To make the patties, use a sheet of wax paper or plastic wrap and place ground chuck on top. Spread ground chuck to a rectangular shape, approximately 8″X 14″. Spread the garlic butter mixture evenly over the ground chuck. Layer thin slices of rib eye or Delmonico steak evenly over the rectangular shaped beef. Starting from one end of the rectangular shaped beef and using wax paper to help form, begin to tightly roll the ingredients to form a pinwheel style log similar to cinnamon rolls. Cover and place standing on end in a freezer until chilled, approximately 40 minutes. Remove from freezer and place on a cutting board. Begin slicing 3/4 inch sections starting from one end to form patties. Season with kosher salt and pepper. Refrigerate and set aside.

To make the mayonnaise, place the bacon in a large, deep, heavy fire-proof saucepan that has been heated on the grill and fry until golden brown. Add chopped jalapeno to the bacon and cook for one minute. Remove from skillet and place in a bowl with mayonnaise and mix thoroughly. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

To make the onions, use the bacon drippings from earlier and add vegetable oil into the saucepan to a depth of 2 inches. Heat on the grill until the temperature reaches 360 degrees F. Cut the onions into very thin slices and separate the rings. Soak the onions in buttermilk while you prepare the flour mixture. On a shallow platter, combine the flour, salt, pepper, and Creole seasoning and mix well. Take a handful of onions, shaking off any excess milk, and dredge in the flour mixture. Shake off the excess flour and fry in the hot oil until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Remove the onions with a slotted spoon and place on a plate lined with paper towels. Lightly dust with salt and set aside.

Brush the grill rack with vegetable oil. Place the burger patties on the rack, cover, and cook, turning once, until done to preference, 4 to 6 minutes on each side for medium. Place the cheese slices on the patties during the last 2 minutes of grilling. Use remaining garlic butter to brush one side of Texas toast and place slices butter side down on the outer edges of the rack to toast lightly during the last 2 minutes of grilling.

To assemble the burgers, spread some bacon-jalapeno mayonnaise on the untoasted side of 6 slices of the Texas toast. Place shredded lettuce on top of the mayo mixture. Put a cheese-topped patty on each bed of lettuce. Place a tomato slice on each patty and top with a mound of onion straws. Add remaining slices of bread to serve as burger tops and serve.

Makes 6 burgers