Juicy Caprese Burger
We’ve had a couple of those warm days in the Bay Area this week, which called for some grilling. Burgers are a go-to in our house because they are relatively easy to prepare for. Here, I couldn’t help but “Italify” the burgers by throwing in pesto and topping it with melted mozzarella. I added a few cloves of garlic to the ketchup, which was a proxy for tomatoes, and that rounded out my Caprese Burger. So juicy and delicious, we ate 2 each. Oink.
Makes 4 burgers
Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef (I always use 80/20 for burgers, but feel free to lean it up)
1/3 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
1/3 whole milk
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons pesto (plus more for spreading)
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup mayonnaise
4 garlic cloves, grated
4 slices mozzarella
Butter lettuce
4 brioche hamburger buns, split
Steps:
In a large bowl, first mix the breadcrumbs with the milk, salt, pepper, and pesto. Let soak for 5 minutes to have the breadcrumbs soften and all the flavors mix. Add in the ground beef and gently mix. I use fork as if I’m fluffing the meat because if you overwork the beef, you’ll end up with a tough patty. Once everything is combined, divide up the meat into 4 round patties about 3/4 inch thick. Place on a sheet or plate and chill in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. This will allow the patties to rest and stiffen, which will be easier to grill.
While the patties are resting, make the garlic ketchup. Simply combine the ketchup, mayo, and the garlic in a small bowl until you’re ready to use it.
Time to grill! Preheat your grill on high. Place the patties on the grill and cook for 3 - 4 minutes on one side. When you get those beautiful grill marks, flip the burger, top with mozzarella, and cook for another 3 minutes. It’s also a good time to heat up your brioche buns (if you prefer).
To assemble, spread some of the garlic ketchup mayo on the bottom bun, place a piece of butter lettuce on top of that, followed by the burger, a little bit of extra pesto sauce, and top with the other half of the bun. BOOM, it’s burger time.
