The Summer Rooftop Special

Pairs well with:

Zinfandel

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

Ingredients

3 tbsp Roasted garlic (made from 1 head of garlic)
2 tbsp olive oil for roasting the garlic
½ C. Sun dried tomatoes, in oil, undrained
¼ C. Pine nuts
½ C. Basil
1/3 C. Olive oil
½ C. Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
1½ pounds ground sirloin
Vegetable oil for brushing grill rack.
6 Kaiser rolls split
2 C. Watercress
6 tsp balsamic vinegar

 

Instructions

Prepare gas grill to medium high heat. Cut the head of garlic in half and place it in aluminum foil. Drizzle with olive oil and tightly close. Place the garlic wrapped foil on the grill for 25-35 min or until garlic is soft and roasted. Remove from grill and let cool until it is cool enough to work with and squeeze the garlic out. In a blender, combine the sun-dried tomatoes (with the oil), pine nuts, basil and 3 tbsp of the roasted garlic. Pulse the blender until combined thoroughly. With the blender running, drizzle in the olive oil to form the pesto. Blend just until the pesto comes together. With a spoon, mix in the Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste. To form the patties, add the pesto to the ground sirloin, reserving about 1/8 C of the pesto. Mix the ground sirloin and pesto until it just combines, being careful not to over mix the meat. Divide the mixture into 6 patties, large enough to fit the Kaiser rolls. Brush the grill rack with oil. Place the patties on the rack, cover, and grill until browned on the bottoms, 4 to 5 minutes. Turn the patties over and brush a small amount of the reserved pesto over the patties. Continue grilling until done to preference, about 5 minutes longer for medium. Once the patties reach the desired doneness, remove from grill, place them on a plate and cover them with aluminum foil to keep them warm. Take the Kaiser rolls, cut them in half and place them on the grill. Toast the buns until golden brown. To assemble the burger, add any remaining pesto to the bottom half of the buns. Place a patty on each bun. Top the patty with the watercress, dividing it evenly over all the patties. Drizzle the watercress with even amounts of the balsamic vinegar. Place the top of the bun on the watercress and serve. Now find a shady spot in the yard, sit back and enjoy the best burger you’ve ever had. Makes 6 burgers.