Bacon Burger Gone Nuts

Ingredients

1/4 cup good quality mayonnaise
1/4 cup prepared walnut pesto
2 large portobello caps
2 tablespoon Colavita extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
1/4 cup Sutter Home Chardonnay
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
6 slices thick cut hickory smoked bacon
1.25 lbs Angus ground chuck
1.25 lbs Angus ground sirloin
2 tablespoon Grey Poupon Dijon Mustard
2 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
2 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
4 tablespoon minced shallots
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Vegetable oil for seasoning the grill
6 slices Swiss cheese
6 slices Gruyere cheese
6 fresh Kaiser rolls, sliced in half
3 tablespoon Colavita extra virgin olive oil
1 cup arugula leaves
6 (1/4 inch thick) beefsteak tomato slices

Instructions

Preheat a gas grill to a medium-high heat.

To prepare the walnut pesto: Combine the mayonnaise and walnut pesto in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Cover with plastic wrap and keep cool for future use.

To prepare the balsamic glazed mushrooms: Preheat a 12-inch fire proof skillet on the grill. Slice the mushrooms into 1/4 – inch long strips. Add the olive oil and butter to the skillet and heat. Add in the mushroom, salt, pepper, and thyme and sauté for 5 minutes. De-glaze the pan with the Sutter Home Chardonnay. Cook until most of the liquid has evaporated (3-4 minutes). Add the balsamic vinegar and cook for another 5-8 minutes or until the balsamic vinegar has reduced to a glaze. Remove the mushroom and place in a bowl, covered with plastic wrap and then foil to keep warm.

To prepare the patties: Preheat a 12-inch fire proof skillet on the grill. Add the bacon and cook until crispy (approximately 5-6 minutes). Remove and set on paper towels to drain. Coarsely chop the bacon and add to a large mixing bowl. Add the chuck, sirloin, Grey Poupon, parsley, thyme, shallots, salt, and pepper to the mixing bowl and combine the ingredients, while handling the meat as little as possible to avoid compacting. Form the mixture into six patties, slightly larger than the size of the buns. Loosely wrap the patties in plastic wrap and set aside to keep cool until ready to grill.

When the grill is ready, brush the grill rack with vegetable oil and place the patties on the grill. Cook the patties, turning only once, until done to preference, 5 to 6 minutes on each side for medium. During the last two minutes of cooking the patties, place a slice of Swiss and Gruyere cheese on each patty and close the grill lid and continue cooking. When the patties are ready, remove from the grill and place on a tray and loosely cover with foil to keep warm.

While the patties are cooking, prepare the Kaiser rolls by slicing in half and brushing olive oil on the cut side of each roll. Once the patties are removed from the grill, lightly toast the rolls on the grill for approximately 20 seconds.

To assemble the burger: Lightly spread a small portion of the walnut pesto mayonnaise to the cut sides of the grilled rolls. On each roll bottom, add equal portions of the arugula leaves, a tomato slice, and a burger patty. Then add equal portions of the balsamic mushrooms on top of the patty. Add the roll top and serve.