Napa Burger

Liberty Burger co-founder Mariel Street makes a burger that is bursting with flavor. She shares the recipe for the Napa Burger with gorgonzola, roasted tomatoes, olives, red onion and garlic aioli.
 

Napa Burger

Beef  1 lb. 8 oz.
- 70-30 lean to fat ratio
- Makes 4- 6 oz patties

Baby Arugula
- Small handful for each burger. Arugula can be peppery, so it is a personal preference and you don't want to "swallow" the other flavors.

Oven Roasted Roma Tomatoes
- Roma Tomatoes  1 per person (4 for family)
- Soy bean Oil  enough to coat evenly
- Kosher Salt  1 TSP
- Black Pepper (Cafe grind)
- Garlic  1 TSP (minced)

Gorgonzola Cheese
- 2 oz per burger = 8 oz

Basil Garlic Aioli
- Roasted Garlic  6-8 cloves
- Mayonnaise  1 cup
- Kosher Salt  1 TSP
- Black Pepper (coarse grind)  1 TSP
- Basil  1 TBLS

Red Onion
- 5 rings per burger = 20 rings total

Sliced Green Olives
-10 slices per burger = 40 slices. Enough to cover top bun and get olive in each bite.

Each burger should be 6 oz. You want 70-30 ratio because lower fat level means it will dry out
faster. Coarse kosher salt and course pepper-fresh ground pepper. Season right before you put it on, don't wait. Smash it out a smidge larger than bun to allow for shrinkage. Use the butt of your hand.

Handle it as little as possible. The more you mess with it the tougher the patty- loosely form the patties. Thumbprint in the center keeps it from blowing up like a balloon. Grill more flat. Don't smash it, don't touch it, don't peak to see if its charred on the downside. Just leave it alone and let it cook.

Grill should be heated to 350 degrees. For a medium burger, 3 to 3.5 minutes on each side.

Roasted Tomatoes

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Wash tomatoes. Slice the tomatoes lengthwise into quarters. (If tomatoes are large, cut them into sixths.) Scoop out and discard the seeds and pulp, as much as possible. Place tomatoes in a large bowl. Drizzle with vegetable oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Lightly toss together, making sure everything is coated.

Arrange tomatoes in a single layer, skin side down, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. They can be placed closely together since they shrink considerably during baking. Sprinkle minced garlic over tomatoes being careful to let most of it drop directly on the tomatoes. Give it one more generous drizzle of oil. Place in oven and cook for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, depending on the size of
your tomatoes.

You'll want to keep an eye on them after 1 hour. You'll see the juices have dried up and some of the tomatoes will start to get dark around the edges. Remove from the oven, and let cool for 5 to 10 minutes. Place in a bowl, cover, label, date and refrigerate.
SHELF LIFE: 48 HOURS

Basil Garlic Aioli

Place roasted and peeled garlic clove on clean work surface. Using broad side of a chef's knife, crush slightly and macerate, using circular motions, until it becomes paste. Add a pinch of kosher salt and mix. Stir paste into mayonnaise, adding ground black pepper and basil.
SHELF LIFE: 48 HOURS

LINK: givemelibertyburger.com