Don't let the hot weather keep you from preparing a wonderful meal, just take it outside to the grill. Grilling provides wonderful flavor to meats and vegetables. The rosemary in this recipe not only enhances the flavor of the burgers but now research studies are confirming that it offers important health benefits too.
Serves 4
Prep time: 10 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes
Ingredients:
1 ½ pound ground chuck
½ pound ground pork
2 tablespoons fresh Rosemary, finely minced
2 tablespoons fresh Sage, finely minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 ½ tablespoon pecans, chopped
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
4 hamburger buns, toasted
Additional condiments optional: lettuce, tomato, cheese, mustard,
ketchup, mayonnaise
Mushrooms
:
4 medium portabella mushrooms, gills and stems removed
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
Instructions:
For the mushrooms: to make the marinade combine the e.v. olive oil, vinegar, and garlic. Brush inside each mushroom with marinade and set aside for no longer than one hour. Meanwhile, prepare the grill.
For the burgers: combine ground chuck and pork together and mix. Combine rosemary, sage, garlic, pecans, e.v. olive oil, salt and pepper to form a pesto type mixture. Divide meat into eight disks and top 4 of the disks with herb mixture spreading evenly over each disk. Top each one with one remaining disk and press into 1 inch thick patty, pinching edges together to seal.
Place burger on grill and sear for 3 minutes on each side. Continue to cook until desired doneness. Add mushrooms to the grill, top side up and grill for 4 minutes or until tender.
Arrange buns on a plate and top each half with a burger and mushroom. Add additional toppings. Serve right away.
Terri’s Tips:
Pair this burger with a medium bodied Merlot with hints of black cherry. This wine pairs well with grilled meats and herbs such as rosemary and sage.
If you prefer your burger well done use ground beef that is at least 15% fat, 20% is even better
Add your favorite cheese to top of burger during last 5 minutes of grilling
See grilling tips for helpful grilling idea
Cooking Wiser:
Exchange the ground pork for a leaner choice, ground turkey or ground round
For juicier burgers ground chuck is the best choice but you can reduce the fat by using a leaner meat such as ground round
For lean, mean burgers use ground turkey and stuff each burger with one ounce (about 2-3 grams of fat) low fat cheese. I love Cabot 50% reduced Cheddar