Chipotle Bacon Maple Jam Burgers

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Ingredients

  • Chipotle Bacon Maple Jam:
  • 10 oz bacon, sliced crosswise into ¾-inch pieces
  • 1 onion, minced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 Tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, finely chopped
  • 1 Tbsp adobo sauce
  • 3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • ¼ cup Sutter Home Merlot
  • Large pinch kosher salt
  • Large pinch freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
  • Pear, Spinach, and Hazelnut Salad:
  • 1 cup julienned pear
  • 1 cup baby spinach
  • ⅓ cup chopped toasted hazelnuts
  • 2 tablespoons finely minced onion
  • 1 teaspoon maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • Large pinch kosher salt
  • Large pinch freshly ground black pepper
  • Burgers:
  • 2 lb ground chuck
  • 1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, finely chopped
  • ¾ tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
  • ½ tsp fresh thyme leaves
  • 2 tsp kosher salt
  • ¾ tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • Other ingredients:
  • Vegetable oil, for brushing on the grill rack
  • 6 oz Maytag or other blue cheese, crumbled
  • 6 bakery white hamburger buns, split
  • 1½ cups sour cream and onion kettle-style potato chips

Instructions

  1. To make the jam, heat a large skillet on the grill. Add the bacon and cook for about 5 minutes or until just starting to crisp. Remove the bacon from the skillet, leaving the rendered fat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 seconds. Return the bacon to the skillet and add the syrup, chile, adobo sauce, vinegar, wine, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 40 minutes. If the mixture gets too dry, add a little water. Stir in the mustard and set aside.
  2. To make the salad, combine all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl.
  3. To make the patties, combine all of the ingredients in a bowl. Handling the 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 bun.
  4. Heat a grill to medium-high. Brush the grill rack with vegetable oil. Place the patties on the rack, cover, and cook, turning once, just until done, about 4 minutes on each side for medium-rare. During the last few minutes of cooking, top the patties with equal amounts of the cheese and place the buns, cut sides down, on the outer edges of the rack to toast lightly.
  5. To assemble the burgers, spread a generous layer of the jam on the cut sides of the buns. On each bun bottom place a portion of the salad, a cheese-topped patty, and some of the chips. Add the bun tops and serve immediately.