The Spicy Georgia Peach Burger

Pairs well with:

Zinfandel

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

My wife and I have just recently moved to Georgia and wanted to highlight some of the distinctive tastes of our great new state.

Ingredients:

1 pound ground round (85/15 fat content)
1 pound ground chuck (80/20 fat content)
1.5 cup vidalia onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon coarse salt
2 tablespoons molasses
8 tablespoons Coca-Cola brand soft drink
6, 1-ounce slices Havarti cheese
12, 0.5-inch-thick peach slices
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup olive oil based mayonaise
4 teaspoons minced chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
6 tablespoons finely diced peach
6, Publix-brand, french-style hamburger buns or equivalent
6 leaves of red leaf lettuce

Instructions:

Combine first 8 ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix thoroughly. Form 6, 1/3-pound burger patties approximately 5-inches in diameter from the mixture. Preheat charcoal grill to 350-400 degrees F. Cook prepared patties on grill for 10-12 minutes per side, or to prefered level of doneness. Be careful to flip only once and to not flatten the patty to ensure juiciness. Place cheese slices on burgers as soon as they come off the grill. Allow the burgers to sit covered for 5 minutes.
Lightly coat peach slices with olive oil and grill for 2 minutes on each side. Prepare aioli by combining mayonaise, chipotle pepper, and diced peach in a small mixing bowl and mixing thoroughly. Evenly distribute 1.5 tablespoon of prepared aioli on each bun, coating both sides of the bun. Place grilled burger patties with cheese on half of bun, top with 2 slices of grilled peach and 1 leaf of lettuce. Top with other half of bun.