Marmalade and Whisky Glazed Blarney Burger with Bacon and Tomato Mayonnaise

Ingredients

Whiskey Infused Vidalia Onions:
Large Vidalia onion, sliced in thin strips
2 tablespoons butter
¼ cup packed dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons Irish Pub Mustard
1 teaspoon whiskey
Slow Cooked Apples:
1 large firm Granny Smith apple, cored and sliced into 6 round pieces
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 teaspoons cinnamon
Bacon and Tomato Mayonnaise:
1 pound rasher Pork Back Bacon crumbled
1 cup mayo
6 tablespoons cilantro, fresh, finely chopped
6 tablespoons fresh lime juice
8 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons chili powder
10 cherry tomatoes, fresh, cut into 4ths
2 tablespoons bacon drippings
Fine Cut Orange Marmalade and Irish Whiskey Glaze:
1 cup fine cut orange marmalade
¼ cup Irish whiskey
¼ cup coffee
1/3 cup butter
2 teaspoons Worcestershire
1 teaspoon Irish Pub Mustard
1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
¼ cup packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons bacon grease (reserved from Bacon and tomato mayonnaise recipe)
Patties:
2 ½ pounds ground chuck
1 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup quick cooking Irish oats
6 slices of Gouda
Vegetable oil, for brushing the grill rack
Lettuce Wraps:
18 leaves of Boston Bibb lettuce
Bacon and Tomato Mayonnaise
6 Toothpicks
6 Kaiser Rolls, split
2 tablespoon Irish Pub Mustard
½ cup Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Instructions

Prepare a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill with a cover, or preheat a gas grill to medium-high. To make the whiskey infused onions, layer sliced onion in bottom of heavy fireproof skillet, dot with butter, sprinkle with brown sugar, and dot with mustard and add whiskey. Cover with lid and place on back grill rack. Cook for 20 minutes covered. Remove from heat and remove lid partially to allow steam to escape, remove lid completely and stir. Check onions for tenderness (not too tender but shy of crisp). Remove from heat and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm. To make the slow cooked apple, core the apple. Do not peel it. Cut into 6 round slices. In heavy fire-proof pan, place apples on bottom of pan. Dot the apples with butter, sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon and then cover with aluminum foil and seal edges tightly. Place on back of grill rack near, but not directly on flame. Cook for 20 minutes and remove foil slowly to let steam escape. Test for doneness—a little firmer than a baked apple. Remove from heat and cover pan with aluminum foil to keep apples warm. To make bacon and tomato mayonnaise, place bacon in heavy fire-proof pan over medium-high heat. Turn the bacon frequently during cooking and remove when it becomes crisp. Place bacon on paper towel to drain. Reserve bacon grease in heat proof container and set aside. Once bacon is cool enough to touch, crumble bacon and reserve. While bacon is cooking, in a small bowl, whisk mayonnaise, cilantro, lime juice, sugar and chili powder together until smooth. Cover and refrigerate mixture until bacon is completely cooked, cooled and crumbled. When bacon is crumbled add tomatoes and crumbled bacon to mayonnaise mixture, stir gently to blend. Add bacon drippings and stir gently until well blended. Transfer to a plastic container with a tight fitting lid and refrigerate until ready to use. Transfer to a plastic container with a tight fitting lid and refrigerate until ready to use. To make the glaze, add butter to a heavy fire-proof saucepan. Place saucepan on grill rack near heat source and stir butter until melted. Add the orange marmalade, Irish whiskey, coffee, Worcestershire sauce, Irish Pub Mustard, minced garlic and dark brown sugar and stir until the mixture boils, about 5 minutes. Add bacon drippings. Remove the pan from the grill and set aside. To make the patties, combine the beef, kosher salt, black pepper and oats in a large bowl. Divide the mixture into 6 equal portions and form the portions slightly wider than the size of the Kaiser roll, the patties shrink when they cook down. Brush the grill rack with oil. Place the patties on the rack and baste with Fine Cut Orange Marmalade and Irish Whiskey Glaze, cover and grill, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn the patties and continue grilling, flipping every 3 to 4 minutes until patties reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees. Brush with glaze every time patties are flipped. While patties are cooking, prepare lettuce wraps by washing 12 leaves and let dry at room temperature. Once dry place generous amount of Bacon and Tomato Mayonnaise on each leaf and spread. Roll leaf up. Place 3 lettuce wraps together and hold in place with toothpick. Place on plate cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to assemble burgers. To prepare the Kaiser rolls combine Irish Pub Mustard and ¼ cup Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil and brush inside tops of rolls. With the remaining Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil brush the bottom halves of rolls. During the last few minutes of cooking, carefully place the rolls, cut side down, on the outer edges of the rack to toast lightly. When burgers are almost done, add equal amounts of Slow Cooked Apples on top of each burger, followed by a slice of cheese, close lid of grill to melt cheese. To assemble the burgers, place burger on each roll bottom, add generous portion of Whiskey Infused Vidalia Onions on top of each burger. Top each burger with 3 lettuce wraps, remove toothpicks. Add the roll tops and serve. Makes 6 burgers