Chipotle Bacon Maple Jam Burgers

Accolades 2013 Winning Recipes
Serves 6
Pairs well with:

White Zinfandel

With strawberry and melon essences, this American original is perfectly at home with however you like to unwind.

In this burger, I employ my unique creation: Chipotle Bacon Maple Jam. It really does wonders to the burger, which is simultaneously sweet and spicy and a little bit smoky. There’s some creamy blue cheese to balance all that. This is really the ultimate bacon blue cheese burger, but all done in my own unique way.

Ingredients:

CHIPOTLE BACON MAPLE JAM

  • 10 ounces bacon, sliced crosswise into 3/4-inch pieces
  • 1 onion, minced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
  • 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 cup Sutter Home Zinfandel
  • Large pinch kosher salt
  • Large pinch freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

PEAR, SPINACH, AND HAZELNUT SALAD

  • 1 cup julienned pear
  • 1 cup baby spinach
  • 1/3 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts
  • 2 tablespoons finely minced onion
  • 1 teaspoon maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • Large pinch kosher salt
  • Large pinch freshly ground black pepper

PATTIES

  • 2 pounds ground chuck
  • 1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, finely chopped
  • 3/4 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

 

  • Vegetable oil, for brushing on the grill rack
  • 6 ounces Maytag or other blue cheese, crumbled
  • 6 bakery white hamburger buns, split
  • 1 1/2 cups Kettle Brand Sour Cream and Onion Potato Chips

Instructions:

  1. Heat a grill to medium-high.
  2. To make the jam, heat a large fireproof skillet on the grill. Add the bacon and cook for about 5 minutes or until just starting to crisp. Remove the bacon from the skillet, leaving the rendered fat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 seconds. Return the bacon to the skillet and add the syrup, chile, adobo sauce, vinegar, wine, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 40 minutes. If the mixture gets too dry, add a little water. Stir in the mustard and set aside.
  3. To make the salad, combine all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl.
  4. To make the patties, combine all of the ingredients in a 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 buns.
  5. Brush the grill rack with vegetable oil. Place the patties on the rack, cover, and cook, turning once, just until done, about 4 minutes on each side for medium-rare. During the last few minutes of cooking, top the patties with equal amounts of the cheese and place the buns, cut sides down, on the outer edges of the rack to toast lightly.
  6. To assemble the burgers, spread a generous layer of the jam on the cut sides of the buns. On each bun bottom place a portion of the salad, a cheese-topped patty, and some of the chips. Add the bun tops and serve immediately.