Thousand Island Burger

Pairs well with:

Pinot Grigio

You won’t need a bouquet of flowers when you share our Pinot Grigio. This crisp wine with floral aromas is a wonderful way to make an entrance.

Ingredients:

Thousand Island Dressing:

3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons chili sauce (bottled Heinz)
2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
2 tablespoons green onions, finely chopped
¼ teaspoon Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce

12 slices thick-cut Applewood smoked bacon

Garlic Butter:
½ cup unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, crushed

Patties:

2 pounds freshly ground chuck
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup grated sweet onion, like Texas 1015 or Vidalia
1⁄4 cup Sutter Homes White Cabernet Sauvignon Wine
2 tablespoons Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce
2 teaspoons Kosher Salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Vegetable oil, for brushing on the grill rack
6 slices Swiss Cheese (Deli sliced)
6 Kaiser Rolls, split
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
2 medium Hass Avocados
3 cups iceberg lettuce, shredded

Instructions:

Preheat a gas grill to medium-high, or prepare a medium hot fire in a charcoal grill.

To prepare the Thousand Island Dressing, in a medium bowl combine the mayonnaise, ketchup, chili sauce, sweet pickle relish, chopped green onions and Worcestershire Sauce. Mix well, cover and refrigerate until serving.

When the grill is ready, cook the bacon in a large, heavy, nonstick, fire-proof skillet until crisp, about 8 to 10 minutes, turning frequently. Remove onto paper towels to drain. Wrap in aluminum foil to keep warm and set aside.

To prepare the Garlic Butter, place the unsalted butter in a small saucepan and place on the grill rack until the butter melts, stirring occasionally. Add the crushed garlic, stir, and simmer for 5 minutes. Cover and move to an outer edge of the grill to keep warm.

To make the patties, in a large bowl gently combine the ground chuck, minced garlic, grated sweet onions, white Cabernet Sauvignon wine, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper, handling as little as possible so as not to compact the meat. Divide the mixture into 6 equal parts and form into patties sized to fit the rolls, pressing an indentation in the center of each patty.

Brush the grill rack with vegetable oil. Place the patties on the grill rack and cook, turning once, until done to preference, about 5 to 7 minutes per side for medium. During the last 3 minutes of grilling, place one slice of Swiss Cheese on each patty to melt. During the last few minutes of grilling the patties, brush the garlic butter on the cut sides of the rolls. Sprinkle generously with the grated Parmesan Cheese, lightly pressing the Parmesan Cheese onto the cut surfaces of the rolls. and place the rolls, cut side down, on the outer edges of the grill rack to lightly toast. Remove the patties and rolls when done.

Halve the Avocados lengthwise, remove the seeds, peel and slice crossways into ½ inch slices.
To assemble the burgers, on each roll bottom, add a generous portion of Thousand Island Dressing, ½ cup shredded iceberg lettuce, a cheese-topped patty, 2 pieces of bacon and an equal amount of Avocado slices. Add the roll tops and serve immediately. Enjoy!