BBQ: Ale House Burgers

Ale House Burgers with Red Onion Compote, recipe courtesy Sandra Lee

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour and 8 minutes

Ease of preparation: easy

For Red Onion Compote

1/2-cup water

1 1/4 cups beer

1/2-cup brown sugar

2 red onions, sliced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For Burgers:

3 pounds ground beef

1/4-cup beer

2 tablespoons grill seasoning

1/2 cup shredded Cheddar

Romaine lettuce

4 hamburger rolls, toasted

For Red Onion Compote:

In a medium saucepan add 1/2-cup water, beer, brown sugar, and red onions. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and stir to combine. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Simmer, stirring occasionally for about 1 hour or until the mixture has thickened and has reduced to about 2 cups. Transfer to a bowl and set aside to cool completely.

For Burgers:

In a large bowl mix together the ground beef, beer and grill seasoning until well incorporated. Reserve half of the mixture for Round 2 Meatloaf recipe. Shape the remaining beef into 4 equal portions and flatten each portion. Place 2 tablespoons of cheese in the center of each and wrap the edges around the cheese to form a ball. Flatten each ball into patties. Place on platter and cover. Refrigerate if not cooking immediately.

Set up grill or indoor grill pan for direct cooking over medium-high heat. When ready to start grilling, oil the grate. Place patties on the hot oiled grill and cook 4 to 5 minutes per side for medium. Serve over lettuce on toasted buns topped with red onion compote. (Reserve leftover compote for Round 2 Meatloaf)