Summer has officially been over for a little while but Los Angeles still feels warm and sunny. We’re very lucky that way. I’m very much in a grilling mood and to celebrate an amazing (and busy!) summer, I am sharing the recipe for a delicious burger with a roasted tomato sauce, blue cheese, and wild arugula. All of this comes packed in a delicious pretzel bun!
I must confess– I never liked blue cheese (or so I thought) until I tried a good-quality one, even a bit pricier than the average. I used Roquefort Société for this recipe and it tasted delicious with the roasted tomato sauce. This was a great way to drop unhealthy condiments filled with sodium and bad fats. The lemony arugula also adds a wonderful touch. I hope you give it a try!
Local Pretzel Burger
Ingredients
- Coarse Sea Salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- 2 large beef steak tomatoes
- 1 brown onion
- 6 large garlic cloves
- Grape seed oil
- Coarse Sea Salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp cumin, ground
- 1 lb organic, grass-fed beef
- 3 oz of Roquefort cheese, crumbled
- 4 San Diego Pretzel Company hamburger buns
- 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1.5 cups organic wild arugula
Preparation
- Pre-heat over at 425° F.
- Slice tomatoes and onions in wedges. Arrange on baking tray, facing down, along with garlic cloves. Drizzle with grape seed oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and allow cooling off. Peel off skin from tomatoes; transfer everything to a deep bowl and carefully mix all ingredients using an immersing blender. Taste and adjust seasoning. Set aside (or refrigerate if doing ahead of time).
- In a medium bowl, whisk together paprika and cumin with 1 tbsp of grape seed oil and salt and pepper. Add ground meat to bowl and gently mix with fork or fingers until seasonings are just incorporated. Divide mix in 4 even portions, make beef patties, and set on a platter. Cover and allow resting for 20-30 minutes outside of the refrigerator.
- Prepare grill and set at medium-high heat. Grill burgers to desired doneness, approximately 4-5 minutes per side for medium-rare.
- If using frozen pretzel buns: Adjust oven heat to 400° F. Moisten buns lightly with water. Place on baking tray and bake for about 12-14 minutes or until buns are heated all the way through. Note: cooking times may vary.
- Toss arugula with fresh lemon juice and olive oil in a medium bowl.
Plating
Cut pretzel buns in half and toast in the grill for a couple of minutes, if desired. Assemble burgers starting with the beef patty, followed by the roasted tomato sauce, wild arugula, and blue cheese crumbles. May be served with homemade baked potato chips.
