Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Fig-Glazed Burgers with Red Onion Jam


Even though I'm not a huge meat-eater, I do love a good burger.  I love mixing things up and trying out new and different variations.  Lucky me, July's Southern Living has a whole spread of Top-Rated Burgers.  These were the first ones that stuck out at me.  I absolutely love figs.  One of my strongest childhood memories is going to my grandpa's house and picking figs off his tree, then eating them right there in the yard.  And since my grandpa is pretty much my favorite person in the world, figs will always be a favorite as well. 

These burgers start out with a patty seasoned with herbs and spices, then is grilled, glazed with fig preserves, and topped with Meunster cheese.  As the burgers cook, a red onion jam is made by sauteeing onions with a little sugar, vinegar, and thyme.  And just so you know, the leftover onions make phenomenal grilled cheese sandwiches.  The result is a perfect combination of sweet, salty, and tart.  Joey said this is his new favorite burger, so I have a feeling they'll be making regular appearances in our house.


One Year Ago:  Roasted Tomatoes Stuffed with Goat Cheese


Fig-Glazed Burgers with Red Onion Jam
adapted from Southern Living, July 2010
makes 4 burgers

Red Onion Jam
  • 4 cups thinly sliced red onions (about 2 medium or 1 large)
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 3/4 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
Cheeseburgers
  • 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
  • 2 Tbs. chopped fresh oregano
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1 Tbs. Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
  • 3 Tbs. fig preserves
  • 4 (1/2-oz) Meunster cheese slices
  • 4 hamburger buns, split and toasted
Saute the onions in hot oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet for 10 minutes.  Stir in the sugar, vinegar, and thyme, reduce heat to low, and cover and cook an additional 10 minutes, or until onion is very tender.  Remove from heat and keep warm.

Prepare grill and heat to medium-high (350-400 degrees), and grease grates with vegetable oil using a paper towel and tongs.  Gently stir together all the ingredients for the burgers (through black pepper) and shape into 4 (1/2-inch) patties.

Grill patties 5 minutes on each side.  Brush each patty with fig preserves and top with a slice of cheese.  Grill an additional 2 minutes, or until beef is cooked and cheese is melted. 

Serve on buns with red onion jam.


14 comments:

The Cilantropist said...

This sounds amazing, and perfect for a summer evening! I love the idea of glazing with the fig preserves and caramelizing the onions to give a sweet flavor.

Eliana said...

Nothing can replace a good burger - especially one with so many wonderful flavors like this one. It looks excellent.

Susi's Kochen und Backen said...

This burger sounds utterly divine!

Roxan said...

Ooh these look so good! I bet the fig is such a great match for those onions. The hamburger buns even look delicious!

Cara said...

mmm, I think I actually have fig preserves. What a perfect use for them!

Melissa Vantine said...

funny i just saw this recipe on southern living and was wanting to make it. I love burgers and could eat them 7 days a week. Picture looks awesome, i saw it on food gawker, i am in the process of trying to get some of my burger pictures on there but no luck. do you use picasa?

Jen said...

These look so good. I'm also not a big meat person but every now and then I get a craving for a good burger and love it when they have a fun twist.

We always had homemade fig preserves in our house growing up. My dad would pick them every summer and make preserves for my mom! :)

Joanne said...

I saw these on The Bitten Word and knew I had to have them. Thanks for reaffirming that for me!

Kira said...

These look killer! What a great way to gussy up a burger.

Anonymous said...

I've been waiting to see if you were going to post this, I'm so glad it came out good. I can't wait to try them!

Elizabeth said...

I love the fig glaze. Figs are just terrible underutilized in the food world and they are so good! What a wonderfully creative way to use them!

Ari said...

Oh my goodness, these look delicious! I'm thinking these would be great in slider format at a party. Thanks for sharing!

Josie said...

Melicious Meals,
I don't use Picasa, and really minimally process the photos. I'm certainly not a photography expert, but I think good lighting is key. Hope some of your pics are accepted!

elly said...

Just saved these and plan to make them soon. They look SO good and even though I am not much for fruit-meat combos, I really don't think you could ever go wrong with fig glaze. Yum.

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