Sweet Italian Burger with Peperonata

Pairs well with:

Zinfandel

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

Ingredients

Peperonata:
1/2 cup olive oil
1 medium onion, julienned
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
4 sweet bell peppers (red, green, and yellow), cleaned and julienned
1 (14 ½ ounce) can plum tomatoes with juice, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Patties:
1 ½ pounds ground chuck
½ pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Vegetable oil, for brushing grill rack
6 Kaiser rolls, split
Melted butter, for brushing on rolls
6 slices provolone cheese

 

Instructions

Prepare a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill with a cover, or preheat a gas grill to medium-high. To make the peperonata, heat olive oil in pan. Sauté onion and garlic in the olive oil until translucent. Add peppers and cook until soft, approximately 10 minutes. Add tomatoes, salt and pepper. Turn the heat to low and cook until peppers and tomatoes are a soft stew consistency, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. To make the patties, combine the ground chuck, sweet Italian sausage, garlic, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Handling the meat as little as possible to avoid compacting it, mix well. Divide the mixture into 6 equal portions and form the portions into patties to fit the rolls. Brush the grill rack with oil. Place the patties on the rack, cover, and grill until browned on the bottoms, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn the patties and continue grilling until done to preference, about 5 minutes longer for medium. During the last few minutes of cooking, brush the cut side of the rolls with melted butter and place, cut side down, on the outer edges of the rack to toast lightly. During the last minute of cooking, top each patty with a cheese slice. To assemble the burgers, on each roll bottom, place a patty. Top with a generous amount of peperonata. Add the roll tops and serve. Makes 6 burgers