Hickory Smoked Garlic Burger with Smoked Chipotle Mayo

Pairs well with:

Cabernet Sauvignon

This rich red easily complements your homemade chicken dishes, red meats, game, and mildly seasoned pastas.

Ingredients

1 hand full of  Hickory wood chips
2 cups water
2 lbs 76 / 24 Ground chuck
2 teaspoons – Salt
2 teaspoons – freshly ground pepper blend
2 teaspoons – onion powder 
2 teaspoons – chili powder
2 teaspoons – cumin
2 teaspoons – dried Italian seasoning
2 Tablespoons – minced garlic (Spice world ready to use minced garlic in a jar)
1 – Large beefsteak tomato
1 – Large red onion
½ – head of lettuce
6 – Soft white Kaiser rolls
2 Tablespoons – butter
6 Tablespoons – Ketchup
6 Tablespoons – Smoked Chipotle Mayo
Ingredients for Smoked Chipotle Mayo:
1 – large egg
1 – large egg yolk
2 Tablespoons water
2 or 3 Chilpotle peppers in adobo sauce
1 teaspoon – Greypoupon Dijon Mustard
½ teaspoon – salt
1 ½ cups vegetable oil
6 – Slices of Sharp Cheddar cheese
6 – Slices of Deli Style Muenster cheese

 

Instructions

1. Place Hickory wood chips in small to medium bowl. Cover wood chips with water and set to the side until ready to use. Wood chips should soak for a minimum of 30 minutes prior to use. (Prep time: about 30 sec.) 2. Using a small bowl combine the salt, pepper blend, onion powder, chili powder, cumin, and dried Italian seasoning. Reserve ½ t. of seasoning mixture to sprinkle over the sliced tomato and onion before serving. Cover and set to the side until ready to use. (Prep time: about 1min.) 3. Remove the lid and top grill grate and set both to the side. Make sure the lower grill vents are wide open. Place the charcoal chimney in the center of the lower grill grate. Wad a piece of newspaper into a loose ball and stuff under the charcoal chimney. Fill the chimney with Kingsford charcoal. With a long wooden match or a long electric lighter, light the newspaper. (Prep time: about 10 min. plus 20-40 minutes for charcoal to turn white.) 4. Thoroughly combine ground chuck, fresh garlic, and seasoning mixture you combined in step 2. Cover and set to the side. (Prep time: about 2 minutes) 5. Line a cookie sheet / jellyroll pan with wax paper or parchment paper and set to the side. Divide ground beef into 6 evenly sized balls. Using a plastic mould to assist you with even sized patties, flatten the balls into hamburger patties that are 4 ½ inch circles about ¾ inch thick and place on cookie sheet / jellyroll pan. Cover and set to the side. (Prep time: about 10 minutes.) 6. Slice tomato into 6 slices and put on a plate, leaving room for the red onion. Slice the red onion into 6 slices and add to the plate of tomatoes. Cover and set to the side. Shred ½ head of lettuce. Place shredded lettuce in a small to medium bowl, cover and set to the side. (About 5-10 minutes for prep.) 7. If the coals are white, dump the charcoal onto one side of the grill on the lower grate. Put the empty charcoal chimney out of the way. It is still hot and will burn you. Replace the top grill grate. Make sure the hinged side is over the coals. (Prep time: about 1 min.) 8. Place butter in a small heat safe bowl and set on the grill over the coals. Just until the butter melts, and set the bowl of melted butter to the side until ready to use. (Prep time: about 30 sec.) 9. Replace the grill lid and adjust the top vent to ½ to ¾ closed. You want the internal temperature to be between 200 deg. Minimum and 250 deg. Maximum. Remember if you close the vent completely you will loose your fire. If you open the vent too much the fire will burn hotter. Low and slow is the goal. (Prep time: about 15 minutes) 10. When the desired temperature has been reached, place the patties on the grill starting on the side without the coals and work your way towards the coal. When you are finished placing the patties on grill they should be evenly spaced with no charcoal under them. Remove one hand full of wood chips from liquid. Squeeze excess liquid from wood chips and spread wood chips across charcoal. Replace the lid and adjust the top vent to maintain an internal temperature of 200 deg. minimum to 250 deg. maximum. You should see smoke coming from the grill. This is normal. The patties will cook for 20 – 45 minutes using indirect heat. There is no need to flip these patties. 11. Check for patty doneness. Remove lid and set it to the side. Patties should be the same size as when you started or very close to the same size. They should have a slightly orange tint that is caused from the smoke. If you can see clear juices running you are done. Or you can insert an instant read thermometer in one of the patties. Temperature should be between 150 deg. and 155 deg. when removing burgers from grill. Burgers will continue to cook off grill up to 160 deg. If you see red juices, replace the lid, make sure the temperature is 200 to 250 deg. and wait 5 – 10 more minutes. 12. Place the egg, egg yolk, chipotle peppers, mustard, 1 tablespoon of the water, and the salt in a food processor or blender and process for 20 seconds. With motor running start to pour the oil in a thin steady stream through the feed tube, processing until the mixture begins to thicken. When half of the oil has been incorporated, add the remaining tablespoon of water. With the motor running, add the remaining oil in a thin stream, processing until incorporated. Empty Chipotle Mayo into a small bowl. Cover and set to the side until ready to use. (Prep time: about 1 minute) 13. If patties are cooked, butter the top and bottom of the Kaiser rolls. Place the buttered side of Kaiser Rolls down over the coals and toast, make sure not to burn the Kaiser rolls. While the Kaiser rolls are toasting, place 1 slice Cracker Barrel Cheddar Cheese on each patty. Then place 1 slice of Muenster cheese on top of the Cracker Barrel cheese in the opposite direction. When the cheese has melted use spatula to remove the patties from the grill. Cover and set to the side. (Prep time: about 10-15 minutes) 14. Bottom bun toasted side up, smear 1 Tablespoon of Ketchup and then 1 Tablespoon Smoked Chipotle Mayo. Top the ketchup and Mayo with 1/2 cup (give or take a little) of the shredded lettuce, top with smoked patty and melted cheese, top patty with red onion and tomato. Season tomatoes with reserved seasoning from step 2 and finish the burger with the top of the Kaiser roll toasted side down. Eat & enjoy your Hickory Smoked Garlic Burger. (Prep time: about 10 – 15 min to assemble 6 burgers.)