Basil Portobello Burger with Gorgonzola Onion Cream Sauce

Pairs well with:

Pinot Grigio

You won’t need a bouquet of flowers when you share our Pinot Grigio. This crisp wine with floral aromas is a wonderful way to make an entrance.

Ingredients

Basil Portobello Burger with Gorgonzola Onion Cream Sauce
Total ingredients = 15 (not counting vegetable oil)
Burgers Yield:
6 burgers
½ cup finely chopped baby Portobello mushrooms
2 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil leaves
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
2 cloves minced garlic
2 Tablespoons Sutter Home’s Pinot Grigio wine
1 ¼ teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1 ¾ lbs. ground chuck
In a large bowl add mushrooms, basil, oil, garlic, wine and salt and pepper.
Stir together until well blended.
Crumble ground chuck with fingers in small pieces in bowl with seasonings.
Fold ingredients together slowly with a spoon turning over and over until all seasonings are incorporated into the meat, about 2 minutes.
Be careful not to mash the meat.
Divide meat mixture into 6 equal balls and flatten making uniform patties.
Place patties on a plate and chill until ready to grill.
Make sauce next.
Gorgonzola Onion Cream Sauce Yield:
1 ½ cups 2 Tablespoons butter
1 small to medium sweet onion, cut in half and sliced thinly
Pinch of sugar
¼ cup Sutter Home’s Pinot Grigio wine
1 ½ cups heavy cream
4 ounces Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
Dash of salt
Dash of fresh ground pepper (1 turn of the pepper mill).
Turn one side of the gas grill on low.
In a small metal fire-proof saucepan, melt butter and add onion and sugar.
Stir and cover with a lid.
Cook on low heat until onions are soft stirring often, about 5 minutes.
Remove lid and adjust grill temperature to medium heat.
Cook uncovered stirring often for 10 minutes.
Stir in the wine and cook until reduced by half, approximately 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the cream and stir. Allow cream sauce to reach a boil then cut heat down to low.
Simmer until slightly thickened and reduced, about 10 minutes.
Add the Gorgonzola cheese crumbles and season with salt and pepper. Continue to simmer and stir until the cheese is melted and sauce is smooth.
Cover with lid and keep warm.
Finishing ingredients:
Vegetable oil for brushing the grill rack
6 Kaiser Buns, split in half
Gorgonzola cheese crumbles
6 Romaine lettuce leaves, washed and trimmed

 

Instructions

Cooking instructions: Turn on all burners to medium heat (300-325 degrees) and pre-heat for about 5 minutes. Brush the grill rack with vegetable oil. Place patties on rack, close cover and cook about 3-4 minutes. Carefully turn the patties over. Continue cooking for 4 to 5 minutes, turning again if necessary. During the last few minutes of cooking, place the buns cut side down on the outer portion of grill toasting lightly. Brush both sides of tomato slices with vegetable oil and place on grill for 2 minutes per side. Top each grilled tomato with 1 teaspoon Gorgonzola crumbles. Remove buns, meat and tomatoes from grill and place on a warm plate. Turn off the grill. Assemble each burger by spreading 1 Tablespoon of sauce on the bottom bun, a patty, a slice of tomato, 1 Tablespoon of sauce, lettuce leaf, and lastly 1 Tablespoon of sauce. Add the top bun and serve immediately. Serves 6 burger lovers.