Steak & Egg (Not For Breakfast!) Burgers

Pairs well with:

Merlot

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

Ingredients:

Tarragon Aioli:
½ cup mayonnaise
1 small shallot, minced
1 garlic clove, pressed
2 TBSP minced fresh tarragon
1½ tsp. Dijon mustard
1½ tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. freshly grated lemon zest

Burgers:
¼ cup Sutter Home Cabernet
½ cup grated red onion
2 garlic cloves, pressed
2 TBSP Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce
1½ TBSP minced fresh thyme
1 TBSP steak seasoning (I like Kirkland Signature Steak Seasoning from Costco)
1½ pounds ground chuck
½ pound ground sirloin

12 slices thick-cut bacon
6 large farm-fresh eggs
½ tsp. truffle salt (substitute sea salt if unavailable)
vegetable oil for the grill
6 good quality, not too hard, hamburger rolls, split
2 TBSP butter, softened
6 large leafy lettuce leaves

Instructions:

Place mayonnaise, shallot, 1 pressed garlic clove, tarragon, mustard, lemon juice and lemon zest in a mini-processor and puree. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

In a large bowl, whisk together wine, grated onion, 2 pressed garlic cloves, Worcestershire, thyme and steak seasoning. Gently but thoroughly mix in the beef and form the mixture into 6 patties, putting a slight indentation in the center of each. Set aside.

Preheat gas grill to medium high heat.

When grill is ready, cook bacon in a large, heavy, non-stick fire-proof skillet, until golden and crisp, about 7-9 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain, then wrap in foil to keep warm.

Pour bacon fat into a heatproof measuring cup and wipe out skillet. Measure 2 TBSP of bacon fat back into the skillet. Return skillet to grill and carefully crack in the eggs. Sprinkle with the truffle salt. Cook until bottoms are set but tops are still a bit runny, about 3 minutes. Cover the pan and remove to a heat proof surface. Eggs should continue to cook to a sunny-side-up level of doneness, with runny yolks. Remove the cover if they start overcooking.

Brush the grill rack with vegetable oil. Place the patties on the rack, cover and cook, turning once, until done to preference, about 5-6 minutes per side for medium. Meanwhile, spread the cut side of the rolls with the butter. Place the rolls, cut side down, on the outer edges of the rack to toast lightly during the last 2 minutes of grilling. Remove burgers and rolls.

Spread about 1 TBSP of the aioli on the roll bottoms, top with a lettuce leaf, a burger, 2 bacon slices, an egg and the roll tops. Serves 6.