Saltimbocca Burgers with Arugula Pesto and Marsala Chutney

Pairs well with:

Zinfandel

Bright and full-bodied, this Zinfandel wine is a curious contradiction in tastes.

Ingredients:

ARUGULA PESTO SPREAD
3 ounces fresh baby arugula
2 large garlic cloves
1/3 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup mascarpone cheese
1 tablespoon black olive paste
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

MARSALA CHUTNEY
2 cups sweet marsala wine
1/2 cup beef broth
1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes in oil, (tightly packed)
3 large shallots
3 garlic cloves
2 large or 4 small fresh sage leaves, slivered

BEEF PATTIES
2 pounds ground chuck
2 teaspoons aged balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons dried crushed rosemary
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
2 teaspoons fresh cracked black pepper
vegetable oil for brushing on grill rack

BURGER TOPPINGS
18 slices Prosciutto di Parma, thinly sliced, not shaved
6 thin slices Parmigiano Reggiano (about 6 oz total)
12 large fresh sage leaves
1 red onion
6 focaccia rolls or focaccia bread cut to use as buns
extra virgin olive oil for brushing on focaccia
6 thin slices provolone cheese (about 6 oz. total)
toothpicks to secure prosciutto

Instructions:

Wash the arugula, dry thoroughly and place in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a general purpose chopping blade. Peel and coarsely chop the garlic cloves and add them to the bowl. Add the grated parmesan cheese, mascarpone cheese, black olive paste, pine nuts, olive oil, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, sea salt and black pepper and process until you have a smooth paste consistency. Place the pesto spread in a small bowl, cover and keep chilled until ready to use. To prepare the marsala chutney, pour the marsala and beef broth into a small flame-proof saucepan and bring to a boil. Allow to boil until it has reduced to about 1 1/4 cups in volume. Remove from heat and set aside. Transfer the sun dried tomatoes from the jar with a fork, allowing the excess oil to drip off. Coarsely chop the tomatoes and place in a medium flame-proof saute pan. Peel and coarsely chop the shallots and garlic and add to the saute pan. Cook over moderate heat, stirring frequently for about 10 minutes. Add the reduced marsala and beef broth to the sun dried tomato, shallot, and garlic mixture. Add the slivered fresh sage and simmer over low/medium heat for about 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and keep at room temperature until ready to use. Prepare the patties by placing the ground chuck in a large mixing bowl. Add the balsamic vinegar, rosemary, oregano, olive oil, sea salt and black pepper and mix together, just until combined. Do not over handle the meat. Shape the mixture into 6 equal patties sized to fit the rolls. Preheat one side of your grill to medium/high heat and the other side to low heat. While grill is heating, lay 3 slices of prosciutto in a spoke pattern, overlapping in the middle, on a piece of waxed paper for each burger. Lay one slice of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese in the center of the prosciutto where all the slices overlap. Place one large sage leaf on top of the cheese. Repeat this process five more times. Slice the red onion into thin rings and set aside. When ready to cook, brush the grill rack on the medium/hot side with vegetable oil and place the patties over direct heat. Grill for 3 minutes, then flip the burgers and grill for 3 minutes more. After flipping the burgers, brush the cut sides of the focaccia rolls with extra virgin olive oil and place them cut side down on the low heat side and grill for about 1-2 minutes to lightly toast, then transfer to a platter. Slide the burgers over to the low heat side of the grill. Remove the burgers in the same order that you placed them on the grill to ensure even cooking. As you remove the burgers, place one patty in the center of each prosciutto spoke. Place one sage leaf on top of each burger, then top those with one slice of provolone. Starting with one end of a prosciutto slice, lift it up and fold it over across the top of the burger. Continue with the remaining five ends, working in a clockwise rotation. After the last flap has been folded over the burger, secure the top with one or two toothpicks. Lower the grill heat on the medium/hot side to medium and return the wrapped burgers to the grill, toothpick side up. Close the grill cover and cook for 1-1 1/2 minutes. Open the grill cover, remove the toothpicks and gently flip the burgers. Close the grill cover and cook for an additional 1-1 1/2 minutes. During the last few minutes of cooking, spread 1/6 of the arugula pesto on the cut side of each of the focaccia roll bottoms. Lay 3-4 rings of red onion on top of the pesto. Set one burger patty on top of each prepared bun bottom. Spread 1/6 of the marsala chutney on the cut side of the top of each roll and set on top of the burgers.