TURKISH SPICED BEEF BURGERS WITH SPIKED CARAMELIZED FENNEL AND CREAMY MUSTARD APRICOT SAUCE
Ingredients
Creamy Mustard Apricot Sauce:
3/4 cup Mild & Creamy Grey Poupon Mustard
3 tablespoons apricot fruit spread
Patties:
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1-1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper-from peppercorns
2-pounds boneless chuck steak-well marbled
1/2 tablespoon Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 cup minced sweet onion
2 cloves garlic-minced
Spiked Caramelized Fennel:
1-1/2 tablespoons Colavita Extra Virgin Olive oil
2 fresh fennel bulbs, trimmed, halved, core removed and sliced very thin (about 3 cups)
1/4 cup Sutter Home Chenin Blanc
1/2 teaspoon salt
Olive oil to brush grill rack
2 teaspoons salt (for patties)
6 thin slices goat milk mild cheddar cheese
6 cracked whole wheat buns-split
1 large avocado-peel, remove pit and slice into 12 thin wedges
Instructions
To make sauce, whisk mustard and fruit spread together in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate until serving.
Combine coriander, cumin, pumpkin pie spice and black pepper in a saucer; stir together. Place steak on a plate; rub both sides of steak with spice mixture. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.
Preheat a gas grill for grilling at medium-high heat or prepare a charcoal fire for both direct and indirect cooking (hot and medium-high) in a charcoal grill.
When grill heat has reached medium-hot, heat olive oil in a small fireproof skillet on grill rack. Add onion and garlic; sauté until tender-about 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from heat; set aside.
After chilling steak 30 minutes, cut steak into 1-1/2 inch cubes. Using a food processor fitted with a blade (or meat grinder), process meat in four batches, until coarsely chopped. Transfer steak to a bowl. Add the sautéed onion/garlic mixture to steak and mix together handling steak as little as possible. Form 6 patties about 1/2-inch thick. Refrigerate until needed.
To make spiked caramelized fennel, toss fennel and olive oil together in a large nonstick fireproof skillet. Place skillet on grill over medium-high heat and cook, stirring frequently for about 15 to 20 minutes or until fennel is golden and tender Add wine; stir until most liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat; salt fennel. Cover skillet and set aside until needed.
Brush oil over grill rack. Retrieve patties from refrigerator and salt both sides of patties. Place patties over medium-high heat and grill until brown on bottom-about 3 to 4 minutes. Turn patties; grill until patties are cooked to desired doneness or about 3 to 4 minutes for medium, topping with a slice of cheese the final few minutes of cooking. Transfer burgers to a plate. Place rolls cut side down on grill and lightly toast.
To assemble burgers, cover each roll bottom with some fennel then with a burger. Top with a bit more fennel, dividing fennel equally among burgers. Add 2 wedges of avocado. Spread sauce over cut side of each roll top and cover burger. Pass remaining sauce when serving.
6 burgers
