South of the Bagel Burger

Pairs well with:

Sauvignon Blanc

With hints of passion fruit, melon, and citrus, this wine beckons you to kick back and find a perfect porch swing.

I wanted to take all the flavor of a great taco and bring that to the grill but then give it a twist by placing it on a toasted bagel.

Ingredients:

Guacamole

1 ½ avocados (Haas recommended)

½ lime

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon cayenne powder

¼ teaspoon ground cumin

¼ medium onion, diced

½ tomato, seeded and diced

1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

Patties

1 ¾ pounds ground beef (20% fat)

½ pound chorizo, casing removed and mashed

¼ cup Sauvignon Blanc

2 teaspoons onion powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon Mexican chili powder

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon dried cilantro

10 ounces of queso, grated

Other

Vegetable oil, for rubbing on the grill rack

6 thick slices Pepper Jack cheese (Monterrey jack with jalapeno peppers)

6 plain bagels, split

6 tablespoons sour cream

6 bib lettuce leaves, washed and dried

Instructions:

To make the guacamole, in a medium bowl scoop out the avocado and add the lime juice. Toss to coat and slow avocado browning. Add salt, cayenne, and cumin then mash with a potato masher (or a fork if that’s what you have). Fold in the onions, tomato, cilantro, and garlic. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, be sure the plastic touches the mixture to prevent browning and set aside.

To make the patties, combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl and mix together well while handling the meat as little as possible. Divide the mixture into 6 equal portions and form into patties. Set aside until ready to grill.

Heat the grill to medium-high. When the grill is ready, with a paper or cloth towel, rub the grill rack with vegetable oil to prevent sticking. Place the patties on the rack and cook until done to preference, 4 to 6 minutes per side. Do not push down on the patty because this will release the juices and dry out the burger. When the burgers are two minutes from being done, top each with a slice of Pepper Jack and place the bagels on the grill cut side down to toast. Close the grill cover, and cook for 1 minute. Remove the bagels and burgers from the grill.

To assemble the burgers, top each bagel bottom with a dollop (approximately 1 tablespoon) of sour cream and spread to coat. Place a lettuce leaf on top of each bagel bottom, trimming to fit if necessary. Set the patties on top of the lettuce and spread a dollop or two of the guacamole on the bagel top. Place the the bagel top on the burger and cut each bagel in half before serving.