Sweet-Hot Thai Burgers

Search Begins For The Next $50,000 Burger

(NAPSA) – Most people eat chips alongside their burgers, but Karen Bernards had a hunch that they would be more valuable to her inside her burger…and she was right.

As the $50,000 grand prize winner of last year’s Sutter Home Build a Better Burger National Contest and Cook-Off(r), Bernards crushed spicy Thai-flavored potato chips into her beef patties and delighted the judges’ taste buds with a flavor that they could not forget. Her Sweet-Hot Thai Burgers scored high marks across the board from a tough group of judges.

According to head judge James McNair, ‘Karen’s burger had a great blend of flavors. I loved the ‘oniony’ taste she was able to create by adding the chips.’

‘I was inspired by my love of Thai food and tried to capture those distinct flavors in my burger by using lime, ginger, sweet chili sauce, cilantro and basil,’ Bernards explains. ‘When the lightbulb went off to mix spicy chips into the patties, I knew I was on to something special.’

Sutter Home will be taking entries for the 2008 Sutter Home Build a Better Burger Contest and Cook-Off from April 15 through August 18. For contest entry rules, visit www.sutterhome.com or send a self-addressed stamped envelope to: Build a Better Burger, Sutter Home Winery, P.O. Box 248, St. Helena, Calif., 94574-0248. Build a Better Burger is not open to residents of California or Utah. Ten finalists will be flown to the Napa Valley to compete in a burger grilling cook-off on September 27, 2008, which will be judged by a renowned panel of chefs and food industry experts.

Build a Better Burger is sponsored by Sutter Home Family Vineyards, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, the California Avocado Commission, Colavita Olive Oil, BIC Multi-Purpose Lighter, Lea & Perrins, Treasure Cave(r) Blue Cheese, Tabasco(r) brand Chipotle Pepper Sauce, Johnsonville Sausage and Weber(r) Grill Creations(r).

Sweet-Hot Thai Burgers

Print Recipe Pin Save Go to Saved

Makes6 Burgers

Ingredients

Cilantro Mayonnaise

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1/4 cup cilantro chopped

Thai Salad

• 1/4 cup lime juice fresh
• 2 cloves garlic chopped
• 1 tablespoon Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons Thai sweet chili sauce bottled
• 1 tablespoon ginger peeled and grated, fresh
• 1/2 cup cilantro chopped, fresh
• 1/4 cup basil chopped, fresh
• 1 English cucumber cut into matchsticks
• 1 red bell pepper cut into matchsticks
• 1 1/2 cups bean sprouts fresh

Patties

• 2 pounds chuck freshly ground
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 3/4 cup Thai sweet chili sauce bottled
• 4 green onions sliced
• 1 cup spicy Thai-flavored kettle-cooked chips placed in a bag and smashed slightly
• 2-3 tablespoons vegetable oil for brushing on the grill rack
• 6 potato hamburger buns split

• 1 cup spicy Thai-flavored kettle-cooked chips placed in a bag and smashed slightly
• 2-3 tablespoons vegetable oil for brushing on the grill rack
• 6 potato hamburger buns split

Instructions

• Prepare a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill, or preheat a gas grill to medium-high.

Mayonnaise:

• Whisk the mayonnaise, lime juice and cilantro in a small bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside.

Salad:

• Whisk lime juice, garlic, olive oil, salt, sweet chili sauce, ginger, cilantro and basil in a small bowl. Combine the cucumber, red pepper, and bean sprouts in a large bowl. Toss with the dressing to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside.

Patties:

• Combine the chuck, salt, sweet chili sauce, green onions, and chip pieces in a large bowl, handling as little as possible. Shape into 6 patties to fit the buns. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and set aside.
• When the grill is ready, brush the rack with vegetable oil. Place the patties on the rack, cover and cook, turning once until done to preference, 5 to 7 minutes on each side for medium. Place the buns, cut side down, on the outer edges of the grill rack to toast lightly during the last 2 minutes of grilling.
• To assemble the burgers, spread a generous amount of the cilantro mayonnaise over the cut sides of the buns. On each bun bottom, place a grilled patty, followed by equal portions of the Thai salad; add the top bun and serve.