Grand Prize
Hawaii’s Pineapple
Bacon Burger
Amanda Tevyaw
North Providence, RI

Winner of the Weber Gas Grill and the
Limited Edition Steak-umm Frying Pan!

• 4 1/3-pound Steak-umm Burgers
• 1/4 cup of hot sauce
• 8 slices of torn-apart raw bacon
• 8 slices of torn-apart prosciutto
• 4 slices of pineapple
• 4 sweet Portuguese buns
• 1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella
• 1/2 cup of cut-up yellow onion
• 8 slices of jarred sliced hot peppers
• 4 slices of romaine lettuce
• 4 tsp of ranch dressing

1. Brush each burger with hot sauce on each side and cook to desired doneness.

2. In a sprayed skillet, grill pineapple slices until they start to have light grill marks, and set aside.

3. In the same skillet where the pineapples were, add bacon, onions, prosciutto and fry together until they are cooked thoroughly.

4. Butter each side of the Portuguese buns and toast them until golden.

5. Now it's time to assemble. First put the bottom bun down and put the burger on it, then add a slice of pineapple and some of the bacon, prosciutto and onion mixture. Put 2 slices of hot peppers on top, add mozzarella on top of the hot peppers, add a slice of romaine lettuce, then spread a tsp of ranch dressing on the top bun and put the bun on. Serves 4 people.

1st Runner-Up
Caesar-Bacon-Brie
Burgers on Brioche
with Napa Valley
Cabernet Sauvignon
Jamie Miller
Napa, CA

Winner of the Limited Edition
Steak-umm Frying Pan!

This recipe calls for four distinct and separate components, stacked together at the last minute.
You will make:
• Marinated Beef Patties
• Caesar Salad
• Bacon-Brie Patties
• Brioche Buns

Marinated Beef Patties:
• 4 Steak-Umm Burgers
• 1 C. Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
• 5 cloves fresh garlic, crushed
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary, de-stemmed & finely chopped

Caesar Salad:
• 2 C. chopped Romaine lettuce
• ½ C. chopped arugula
• 6 cloves fresh garlic
• 2 anchovy filets
• 2 Tbsp. mayonnaise
• 2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
• ½ C. extra virgin olive oil

Bacon-Brie Patties:
• 8 strips bacon
• 1-½ lbs. St. Andre brie cheese (or any strong-flavored, semi-firm brie)

Brioche Buns:
• 1 loaf Brioche
• 4 tsp. unsalted butter, softened
• Kosher salt to taste
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• ¼ C. Asiago cheese, grated

Marinated Beef Patties
Place the Steak-Umm beef patties in a shallow glass dish. Combine the Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, crushed garlic and chopped rosemary and pour over the beef. Marinate for at least ½ hour. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Caesar Salad
Place the Romaine and arugula in a bowl, and refrigerate until ready to use. In a Cuisinart or blender, chop the garlic. Add the anchovies and blend. Add the mayonnaise, Dijon and red wine vinegar, one at a time, blending each time. Add one teaspoon of the olive oil and blend well. Continue to add the olive oil, a few teaspoons at a time, until well blended. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Bacon-Brie Patties
Fry bacon and drain well, patting with paper towels. Chop finely and combine with the cheese, kneading thoroughly until evenly blended. Divide into four equal amounts and shape into patties. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Brioche Buns
Cut brioche into 3/4-inch thick slices, ending up with 8 total slices. Using a large cookie cutter, or paring knife, cut the slices into rounds. Spread one side of each with ½ teaspoon butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Preheat your gas grill to medium-high, or lower the grate on your charcoal grill to about 3-4 inches above the coals. Buttered side down first, toast both sides of each slice until golden brown, about two minutes per side. Immediately after removing from heat, sprinkle four of the buns with the cheese. These will be the top buns.

Grill the Beef Patties
Heat your grill to high. Be ready to assemble your burgers when the patties come off the grill and have each component ready - bottom bun, bacon-brie patties, Caesar dressing, lettuce, top bun.

Grill your burger for 2-½ minutes on each side for medium rare (burgers will continue to cook while resting as you assemble).

While the burgers are grilling, toss lettuce with Caesar dressing, reserving a few teaspoons of the dressing.
When the burgers are almost done, top each with a bacon-brie patty and close the lid of the grill. After about 45 seconds, the cheese should be oozing slightly, but not completely melted. Remove the beef/bacon/brie patty and place it on the bottom bun. Loosely pack a handful of Caesar salad on top. Spread a teaspoon of Caesar dressing on the top bun, then place the bun on top of the salad. Pair with Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Serves 4.

2nd Runner-Up
Texas Pecan
Pesto Burger
Chris Michalowski
Dallas, TX

Winner of the Limited Edition
Steak-umm Frying Pan!

Pesto:
• 1 Cup Texas pecans
• 1 Jalapeno pepper (chopped)
• 2-3 Cloves of garlic
• 1 Bunch of cilantro
• 1/2 Cup Parmesan Reggiano (shredded)
• 1-1/2 Teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1/2 Cup extra virgin olive oil

Put all ingredients in a blender and mix until everything is chopped and it comes together.
 
Cook four 1/3lb Steak-umm with Onion Burgers as per directions. Top with a good scoop of the pesto and serve on a toasted bun. Enjoy!