Smoky Ginger Wasabi Burger with Pickled Onion and Seasame Seed Ailoi

Pairs well with:

Merlot

Get cozy and get pouring. Our Merlot is the wine for long weekends and lengthy chats.

I love the combination of ginger and wasabi when eating sushi and wanted to find a way to bring that same crisp fresh taste to a hamburger, I think I have achieved it with the following recipe.

Ingredients:

Ginger Wasabi Sauce
1 cup soy sauce
2 cloves minced garlic
4 tablespoon minced sweet onions
2 teaspoon minced pickled sushi ginger
4 tablespoon Sutter Home Merlot
1.5 tablespoon Prepared wasabi (in a tube is best)

Wasabi burger
1.5 pounds hamburger
1 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1/3 cup diced sweet onion
5 tablespoon cooled ginger wasabi sauce
1/2 teaspoon dried wasabi powder

Seasame Seed Aioli
1/2 cup mayonaise
4 teaspoon ginger wasabi sauce
2 teaspoon prepared wasabi from tube
2 teaspoon smoked sesame seed oil

Pickled Onion
6 tablespoon sweet onions slices in long thin strips

1 cup mizuna lettuce leaves (Mesclun can substitute)

6 Seasame seed hamburger buns

oil for grill

Instructions:

heat grill

To make the ginger wasabi saunce:
combine soy sauce, garlic, minced sweet onion, ginger in medium sauce pan. bring to boil over medium heat stirring occassionally.
add Sutter Home Merlot and wasabi. continue to boil for 5 minutes, remove from heat, strain and let cool. save only the sauce

To make the burger
combine all burger ingredinets in non reactive bowl mixing to combine but not handling too much to avoid compaction of the beef. make into 6 patties and cover refrigerated until needed

To make the Aioli:
combine all ingredients in bowl and mix together well. Refrigerate until serving.

To make the Pickled Onion.
Add the long thin, the thinner the better, slices of sweet onion to the cooled sauce. Refrigerate until serving.

Brush grill with oil.
Cook patties over medium heat 4-5 minutes per side until desired doneness. During the last few minutes of grilling toast the buns cut side down.

To assemble burgers:
spread 1 tablespoon seasame seed aioli on both top and bottom buns. add a layer of mizuna leaves to bottom. add burger patty. add 1 tablespoon pickled onion per patty add bun top and serve.