Cherry Almond Sweet with Heat Hamburgers

Pairs well with:

Chardonnay

Reach for our Chardonnay when you’re in the mood for a rich and creamy wine that delights with the fruity flair of pear, apple, and peach.

Ingredients

PATTIES:
1)1.75 pound ground chuck
2)1/4 cup whole tart dried cherries, chopped very fine.
3)1/8 cup seasoned bread crumbs
4)1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
5)1 teaspoon salt
6)1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder (1 teaspoon for patties and 1/2 teaspoon for Almond Sauce**).
7)1 clove garlic, crushed
8)1 Tablespoon Green Pepper Sauce (or green Tabasco Sauce)
9)1/4 teaspoon + 1/8 teaspoon Pure Almond Extract (1/4 teaspoon for patties and 1/8 teaspoon for Almond Sauce***).
10)2 Tablespoons  Hot Habanero Salsa with Roasted Tomatoes & Cilantro.
ALMOND SAUCE:
11)1/2 cup mayonnaise
12)1/4 teaspoon onion powder
13)1 Tablespoon Ketchup **
1/2 teaspoon chili powder (see ingredient #6), ***1/8 teaspoon Almond Extract (see ingredient # 9). REMAINING INGREDIENTS TO BE USED DURING AND AFTER GRILLING:
14) Five 1 ounce wedges Gyuere Cheese , firm texture, Gruyere containing 6 wedges).
15) 6 soft whole grain hamburger buns, split.
16) 6 romaine lettuce leaves, approximately 4 ½ inches in diameter each.

 

Instructions

The directions below are for grilling using a Weber 22 1/2” gas light charcoal grill. 1.Open all vents. 2.Heap about 50 charcoal briquets in the charcoal dividers (25 briquets in each divider) to prepare a medium-hot fire. 3.Ignite charcoal (approximately 5 minutes), then turn OFF gas supply. 4. Put hinged cooking grate in place. (If using a gas grill, brush grill rack with vegetable oil before cooking meat). TO MAKE PATTIES: In a large bowl combine the ground chuck, chopped dried cherries, bread crumbs, cinnamon, salt, 1 teaspoon chili powder (set aside remaining 1/2 teaspoon chili powder for Almond Sauce) , garlic, Emeril’s Kick It Up Green Pepper Sauce, 1/4 teaspoon Almond Extract (set aside remaining 1/8 teaspoon Almond Extract for Almond Sauce), and Frontera Hot Habanero Salsa. Mix gently. Use a one cup size Rubbermaid plastic top that is 5” in diameter and a 12” x 12” piece of Suran Wrap placed in the plastic top as a hamburger mold. Eye ball the mixture of meat and divide it into 6 equal handfuls or balls of meat. Place a ball of meat in the “hamburger mold” and flatten it out to the edges to make a perfectly round pattie. After forming each pattie, place it on a plate and cover with suran wrap to keep fresh. Refrigerate meat until ready to grill. TO MAKE ALMOND SAUCE: In a small bowl combine mayonnaise, onion powder, Ketchup, remaining 1/2 teaspoon chili powder, and remaining 1/8 teaspoon Almond Extract. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. GRILLING: When briquets have a light coating of grey ash or about 80% white (approximately 25-30 minutes), grilling can be started. Remove patties from refrigerator and place meat directly over coals to sear, then move meat to the perimeter of the cooking grate. Close lid and cook on first side for about 6 minutes. Open lid, turn patties, and sear over coals. Move meat to perimeter of cooking grate. Cover with lid and cook another 5 minutes, until no longer pink. Open lid, lay 6 strips of Gruyere cheese on each hamburger. Place hamburger buns, cut side down, on the outer edges of the grill rack to toast lightly. Close lid and set timer for 2 minutes or until cheese is melted. To assemble each burger, lay 1 lettuce leaf on the cut side of the bun top, with uncut side of bun touching the plate. Place the cooked hamburger pattie on the cut side of each bun bottom. When guests are ready to eat, they can pick up top bun, turn it over allowing lettuce to fall onto the cheese/burger. Spread 1/2 Tablespoon Almond Sauce on the cut side of the top bun. Lay top bun on lettuce and take a big bite. Enjoy your CHERRY ALMOND SWEET with HEAT HAMBURGER!!!!!!! Submitted and written by: Janet