Lime Chipotle Burgers with Zinfandel Glazed Onions

Ingredients

Garlic Infused Olive Oil
3 garlic cloves, peeled and cut in half
1/3 cup Colavita extra virgin olive oil

Zinfandel Glazed Onions
1 medium onion, sliced
¼ cup Zinfandel
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
½ teaspoon kosher salt

Chipotle Sauce
3 ½ ounces canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
½ cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lime juice
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons light brown sugar

Patties
1 pound ground chuck
1 pound ground sirloin
Zest of 1 lime
2 teaspoons kosher salt

Chipotle Lettuce Slaw
Reserved Chipotle Sauce
¼ cup sour cream
2 cups chopped iceberg lettuce

Vegetable oil for brushing grill rack

6 ‘burger-sized’ sections Focaccia bread, sliced horizontally (plain or sun dried tomato)

Freshly squeezed lime juice

 

Instructions

To make the Garlic Infused Olive Oil, place the garlic halves in a glass jar. Add the olive oil and cover with a lid or plastic wrap. Set aside at room temperature until ready to grill the Focaccia bread.

Prepare a medium hot fire in a charcoal grill with a cover or preheat a gas grill to medium high.

To make the Zinfandel Glazed Onions, place the onion slices, Zinfandel, brown sugar, and salt in a fireproof skillet. Cover with a lid and place on the grill rack. Cook approximately 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and most of the liquid is evaporated. Uncover and continue to cook, stirring occasionally until the liquid is evaporated and the onions are caramelized. Remove the skillet from the grill and set aside until ready to serve.

To make the Chipotle Sauce, place the chipotle peppers with adobo sauce, mayonnaise, lime juice, salt, and brown sugar in a food processor and pulse several times until smooth. Cover and refrigerate.

To make the patties, combine the ground chuck, ground sirloin, lime zest, salt and 1/3 cup Chipotle Sauce (prepared above) in a large bowl. Reserve the remaining Chipotle Sauce for making the Chipotle Lettuce Slaw. Handling the meat as little as possible to assure tender patties, mix well. Divide the mixture into 6 equal portions and form into patties to fit the Focaccia bread.

To make the Chipotle Lettuce Slaw, combine the reserved Chipotle Sauce and sour cream in a large bowl and mix well to combine. Add the chopped lettuce, mix well, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Brush the grill rack with vegetable oil. Place the patties on the rack and grill approximately 4 – 5 minutes, covered, until the bottoms are browned. Turn the patties and continue grilling, uncovered, approximately 4 – 5 minutes longer for medium. During the last few minutes of grilling, place the Focaccia bread, cut sides down, on the outer edges or the cooler portions of the grill rack to toast lightly. Just before serving, squeeze lime juice on each patty.

To assemble the burgers, place a generous portion of Chipotle Lettuce Slaw on each toasted Focaccia bottom, a patty, and a spoon of the Zinfandel Glazed Onions. Add the toasted Focaccia top and serve.