Sweet Italian Smoky Volpi Burger

I grew up in a big Italian Family in South Eastern Connecticut. This burger includes all the great classic italian flavors incorporated in the classic american burger! magia!

Ingredients:

Roasted Garlic Mayonnaise

1 Large Head (bulb) Garlic
4 Sprigs Fresh Thyme
2 Teaspoons Fresh Lemon Juice
1 Teaspoon Sea Salt
½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
½ Teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
1 Cup Mayonnaise
Olive Oil For Brushing Garlic

Grilled Vidalia Onion And Sweet Red Bell Pepper Toppings

12- ¼ Inch Slices Sweet Vidalia Onions
12- ¼ Inch Slices Sweet Red bell Peppers
½ Teaspoon Dried Oregano
½ Teaspoon Sea Salt
½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Balsamic Vinegar For Brushing Onions And Peppers Before Grilling
Olive Oil For Brushing Onions And Peppers Before Grilling

Patties

2 Pounds Fresh Ground Chuck
2 Ounces Volpi Genoa Salami (Chopped Fine)
¼ Cup Fresh Chopped Basil
¼ Cup Fresh Chopped Italian Parsley
1 Teaspoon Sea Salt
1 1/2 Teaspoons of Fresh Ground Black Pepper
2 Ounces Red Chianti Wine

6 Slices Smoky Provolone Cheese
6 Good Quality Italian Buns, Sliced and Lightly Grilled
¼ Cup Olive Oil For Brushing Buns And Grill Grates.

Instructions:

Directions

Preheat a gas grill to high; adjust the heat to low after 15 minutes. (If cooking over charcoal, allow the coals to burn until they are covered with gray ash.)

To roast garlic bulb remove outer skin to reveal the inner cloves but do not remove cloves from bulb. Cut 1/2 inch from the top of each head of garlic, exposing the cloves. Brush with olive oil along with the 4 sprigs of thyme. Wrap thyme around garlic and wrap both in aluminum foil to form a packet.
Place packet on back of grill turning twice during cooking time to insure even cooking about 35-45 minutes. When the garlic is done, simply squeeze it out of the skin and into a small mixing bowl.

To make the Roasted Garlic Mayonnaise, combine roasted garlic, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper into food processor and mix
until well blended and smooth. Remove the mixture to a small bowl and fold in the mayonnaise. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Prepare a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill with a cover, or preheat a gas grill to medium-high.
To make the patties, combine the ground chuck, salami, basil, parsley, salt, pepper and wine in a large mixing bowl. Fold contents together but don’t over mix handling meat as little as possible to avoid compacting it, mix well. Divide the mixture into 6 equal portions and form the portions into patties to fit the Italian rolls.
When the grill is hot, brush the grill rack and the onions and peppers with olive oil. Season each slice with oregano, salt and black pepper the Onion and Pepper slices on the grill and grill until just tender, about 2 minutes on each side or until nice grill marks adorn each slice. Remove Onion and Pepper slices to a waiting warm plate and cover with plastic wrap to steam and keep warm while preparing burgers.
When the grill is hot, brush the grill rack with olive oil and place the patties on the rack, cover, and cook, turning once, just until done, about four minutes on each side for medium-rare. Place the prepared Onion and Pepper slices, two to each patty, and the cheese slices during the last two minutes to allow cheese to melt nicely into the Onions and Peppers. Also during the last minute of cooking, brush cut side of the Italian roll very lightly with olive oil. Place the rolls, cut side down, on the outer edges of the rack to toast lightly.