Yakima Valley Burgers
Who in Washington doesn’t look forward to peaches ripening in the Yakima Valley? And sweet onions from Walla Walla? Add a little Oregon cheese, and you’ve got a truly Northwest treat.
Ingredients:
Peach Ketchup
2 medium peaches
1-1/2 cups finely diced yellow onion
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 minced fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
Patties
2 pounds lean (85%), organic ground beef such as Dakota brand
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
Vegetable oil for brushing grill rack
6 slices Vintage White, extra sharp Tillamook cheese
6 organic, artisanal whole wheat hamburger buns
6 interior leaves butter lettuce
6 thin center slices, Walla Walla sweet onion
6 tablespoons soft butter
Instructions:
Directions
1. Pre-heat a gas grill to medium-high.
2. Peel and cut the peaches to 1/4″ dice. Place diced peaches, onion, vinegar, sugar, garlic, ginger, salt, mustard, cinnamon and cloves in a 1-quart saucepan. Place on the grill; bring contents to a boil while stirring and cook for about 12 minutes or until peach appears translucent and juices have thickened. Puree with an immersion blender. Pour into small bowl; cover and refrigerate.
3. For patties, place ground beef, Worcestershire sauce and salt, in a medium bowl, and combine loosely with a fork. Form mixture into six patties the diameter of the rolls, making a slight depression in the middle of the patties to compensate for the tendency to bulge during cooking.
4. Brush vegetable oil over grill rack. Grill patties with top closed for 4 minutes; turn and grill 4 more minutes or until internal temperature reaches 160º.
5. During the last 2 minutes of grilling the patties, place rolls cut side down on the grill to toast.
6. During the last minute of cooking, top each patty with a cheese slice
7. To assemble burgers, spread bottoms of rolls with peach ketchup; add lettuce leaves. Add patties; top with onion slices. Spread the tops of the rolls with butter; close and serve.
Makes 6 burgers.