Blue Cheese Burger with Tomato-Shallot Jam

By MooK

Ingredients

• For the Tomato-Shallot Jam
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes
• 1 \3 cup sugar
• 1 \3 cup shallots, minced
• Juice and zest of 1 lime
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• For the Burgers
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and black pepper
• 3-4 slices Blue Cheese
• 3-4 hamburger buns
• Lettuce
• French fries for serving and topping

Preparation

Step 1

Make the tomato-shallot jam. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and toss them in a bowl with the sugar. Let them sit at room temperature for about 1 hour, stirring once or twice during this time. Then heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.

Add the tomatoes, any accumulated juices and the shallots. Cook, stirring frequently for 12-15 minutes, or until the jam is thick, glossy and the tomatoes are almost broken down. Stir in the remaining ingredients and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Once cooled, the tomato-shallot jam can be stored in an airtight container in your refrigerator for 7-10 days. This recipe makes enough jam for 6-8 burgers.
If you want French fries (trust me, you do) for serving and topping your burger, start them cooking during this time.

Pre-heat your grill to high.

Make the burger patties. Add the ground beef, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, olive oil and about ½ tsp. salt and black pepper to a medium bowl. Using your hands, combine the ingredients together, being carefully not to over mix. Form the mixture into 3 or 4 patties, depending on your preferred burger size (I always make ⅓ lb patties = 3 patties). Sprinkle the tops of the patties with additional black pepper.

Add the burger patties to your grill and cook for about 4-5 minutes per side, depending on your desired level of doneness. During the last minute, add one slice of Blue cheese to each burger. You can also add your hamburger buns to the grill at this time if you want them lightly toasted. Remove the burgers and hamburger buns from the grill.

Assemble the burgers. Spread some of the tomato-shallot jam onto the bottom half of each hamburger bun. Top with lettuce, burger patties, French fries and the top half of the hamburger bun. Serve immediately.