Sunshine~Lucious Burgers

Pairs well with:

White Merlot

Imagine sipping a lighter Merlot. This fresh, pale-pink wine is a nice change from traditional red or white wines.

The Sunshine~Lucious Burger is a great local American burger because not only does it highlight the citrus flavor of the Sunshine States oranges and grapefruits; it also reflects the ever growing Hispanic community of South Florida.

How about a little bit of history with the Sunshine~Lucious Burger? Citrus products can be seen at supermarkets nationally, but it cannot undermine the beauty of the citrus groves of Florida. There have been commercial citrus farms in Florida since the mid-1800s. Even before the commercial farms it is noted in history that Ponce de Leon plated the first citrus trees near St. Augustine, Florida.

Salsa

Ingredients:

Cilantro Aioli
(While classic French aioli is made with egg yolks and oil, I opted for mayonnaise.)

1 cup of mayonnaise
1/3 cup of fresh cilantro, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
Juice of one lime
1/2 teaspoon of grated lime rind
1/2 teaspoon Adobo Seasoning, made by Goya

Sunshine Salsa

4 large navel oranges, pealed, sectioned, and diced
1 ruby red grapefruit, pealed, sectioned, and diced
6 ripe plum tomatoes, diced
1 large Vidalia onion, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced (preferably in a mini food processor)
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup of fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped
Juice of 1 lime
Juice of 1 orange
1 teaspoon of kosher salt
1 teaspoon of olive oil

Burger Patties

1 pound of ground sirloin
1 pound of ground chuck
1 large Vidalia onion, finely ground and strained
1 tablespoon of Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon of kosher salt
2-3 tablespoons of vegetable oil, for brushing on the grill
6 Egg Bread Rolls (5 inches in diameter)
6 Romaine lettuce leaves

Instructions:

For the Cilantro Aioli
1. Stir together all of the ingredients.
2. Cover with plastic wrap or in an airtight container and set aside in a cool place.

For the Sunshine Salsa (aka Citrus Salsa)
1. After pealing, sectioning, and dicing the oranges and grapefruit drain out the excess juices and reserve.
2. Stir together all of the ingredients.
3. Cover with plastic wrap or in an airtight container and set aside in a cool place.

For the Burger Patties
1. Combine the sirloin, chuck, Worcestershire Sauce, Vidalia onion, cayenne pepper, and kosher salt in a large mixing bowl.
2. Shape the mixture into six (6) patties (about 4 inches in diameter).
3. Cover the patties and set aside until the grill is ready.
4. When the grill is ready, lightly brush the vegetable oil onto the grill rack.
5. Place the burger patties onto the rack and cover.
6. Cook the patties for five (5) to seven (7) minutes on each side.
7. Turn patties only once during the cooking process.
8. Cook the patties until the temperature is 160 degrees farenheight.
9. Place the Egg Bread rolls onto the grilling rack for the last 2 minutes of grilling the burger patties.