The Oregon Trail Burger

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.

Ingredients

1 lb. ground sirloin
1 lb. ground chuck
1/4 c. fresh basil, chopped
1/4 c. fresh curly parsley, chopped
1 clove fresh garlic, minced
2 tbsp. Fleur De Sel (artisan sea salt)
2 tbsp. fresh cracked black pepper
1/2 c. sour cream, divided into two 1/4 c. measurements
1/4 c. blue cheese, crumbled
1 tbsp. fresh horseradish, finey grated
1 medium Walla Walla sweet onion, sliced
8 oz. mixed wild Oregon mushrooms (Matsutake, Golden and Yellow Chanterelle), sliced
3 tbsp. olive oil
8 oz. freshly washed mixed field greens
4 fresh Kaiser rolls, sliced in half

 

Instructions

Step 1: Preheat grill to Medium-High or 450°F. Step 2: Prepare basil, curly parsley, garlic clove, mushrooms, onions, blue cheese, and horseradish as indicated in ingredients list and set aside. Step 3: In a large mixing bowl combine ground sirloin, ground chuck, basil, parsley, garlic, 1 tspn. salt and 2 tspn. pepper. Mix well with a fork, taking care not to overwork the meat while evenly incorporating all the ingredients. Step 4: Divide meat mixture into four equal parts and form into 1” patties about 5” across. Season both sides with a pinch of salt and pepper. Set aside. Step 5: In a small mixing bowl combine 1/4 c. sour cream, blue cheese, salt and pepper to taste. Mix thoroughly and set aside. Step 6: In a small mixing bowl combine remaining 1/4 c. sour cream, grated horseradish, salt and pepper to taste. Mix thoroughly and set aside. Step 7: Heat 2 tbsp. of olive oil in a large, non-stick skillet (directly on top of the grill or side burner if so equipped set to Medium-High heat.) Add sliced onions to the skillet. Saute’ slowly for 20-30 minutes or until onions are caramelized. Remove onions from skillet, cover with aluminum foil to keep warm, and set aside. Step 8: Return skillet to the grill, heat remaining 1 tbsp. of olive oil and add sliced mushrooms to the skillet. Saute’ slowly for 5-7 minutes or until tender. Remove mushrooms from skillet, cover with aluminum foil to keep warm, and set aside. Step 9: Place meat patties directly on preheated grill and close lid. Grill for 3-5 minutes then flip once with a spatula and continue to grill for another 3-5 minutes until cooked medium-well. Remove burgers from the grill and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm. Step 10: Set the heat on the grill to Low and place the Kaiser rolls face down with the lid open to get them just warmed up a bit, but not toasted. Step 11: Assembling The Oregon Trail Burger: Spread 1 tbsp. of the horseradish sauce on each the bottom and top Kaiser roll halves. Center a burger on the bottom Kaiser roll. Top the burger with a 1/4 serving each of the caramelized onions, sauted mushrooms, sour cream and blue cheese mixture, and a small handful of mixed field greens. Crown the burger with the top Kaiser roll. Voilà! The Oregon Trail Burger!