Southern Style, Tomato, Orange & Thyme Jam Burger With Smoked Blue Cheese Crispy Tobacco Onions With

Ingredients

• For the Garlic Aioli
• 2 garlic cloves. finely minced
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
• 1/2 Cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• For the Crispy Tobacco Onions
• 1 yellow onion, preferable Texas 1015’s or Vidalia, cut in half and thinly sliced into half moon strips
• 1 1/2 Cups buttermilk
• 1 1/2 Cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 quart peanut oil
• For the Tomato, Orange & Thyme Jam
• 28 ounce can of whole peeled plum tomatoes, drained and roughly chopped, reserving any juices released
• 1/2 Cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 2 Teaspoons orange zest
• 1/2 large orange, peeled seeded and cut into quarters, sliced crosswise into 1/4 inch slices
• 2 Teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped fine
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 3 Pounds ground beef 80 percent lean, preferable grass fed
• 1 1/2 teaspoon of coarse sea salt
• 1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
• 6 ounces smoked blue cheese, crumbled
• 6 buttermilk hamburger buns
• 6 Tablespoons butter, at room temperature

Instructions

• Heat a gas grill to medium high heat, once heated, using tongs oil grates with paper towels soaked in canola oil.
• For the Garlic Aioli
• Add all ingredients into a bowl, whisk until smooth and well blended, transfer to a squeeze bottle and refrigerate until needed.
• For the Crispy Tobacco Onions
• Pour buttermilk in a large bowl, add onion strips and soak until ready to fry.
• Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl or gallon sized zip bag, set aside
• Pour oil into a cast iron dutch oven, place on preheated grill and heat until candy thermometer reaches 375 degrees.
• Meanwhile,
• For the Tomato, Orange & Thyme Jam
• Combine all ingredients into a cast iron skillet, place on preheated grill and heat until bubbling and thickened into a jam like consistency approximately 15 – 20 minutes.
• Remove from pan and place in a bowl, set aside.
• For the burgers
• Gently shape ground beef into 6 equal sized patties, set aside.
• Production Instructions
• Toss soaked onions by the handful into the seasoned flour mixture, shaking off any excess flour. Gently drop into hot oil until golden brown, remove with a spider kitchen tool onto a paper towel lined baking sheet, repeat with remaining onions, set aside and carefully remove dutch oven from grill. At this time the tomato jam should be ready.
• Season beef patties equally with the salt and pepper, place on the preheated oiled grates, turning once, until medium rare, about 3 minutes per side. While burgers are cooking, spread butter on buns, when burger are done, remove from grill and top each patty with 2 tablespoons of cheese and let rest while toasting buns on grill.
• To assemble
• Place a generous amount, about 3 – 4 tablespoons of Tomato, Orange & Thyme jam on bottom bun, top with burger, top burger with Crispy Tobacco Onions, drizzle onions with Garlic Aioli, close with top bun and enjoy with Sutter Home Pinot Noir