subject: Spicy Sausage Burgers [print this page] I know Labor Day just passed, but there are still a couple of weeks of grilling season left, and I highly suggest you make these burgers before it starts to get too chilly. Well, if you're like me and live in an apartment with no roof access, then you're used to not even really having a grilling season, and in that case these can be made year round on a stovetop grill, or even just a skillet. I used 93/7 ground beef (that's the fat ratio), because the sausage adds enough fat to keep the burgers moist.
I never thought of adding sausage meat to burgers until a friend of my boyfriend's, Aubrey Gill, made these burgers at an outdoor show for all of his friends while we were visiting Austin, Texas. It's brilliantyou add so much flavor with so little effort. You don't even need to add salt and pepper; the sausage does the work for you. He served the burgers simply, on their own, but I took the idea and ran with itadding pepper jack cheese and a chipotle mayo to make them extra spicy. Either way you choose to go, these burgers are insanely addicting.
About a year and a half ago, when I first tried these burgers, Aubrey was planning on opening his own burger joint with a friend. I don't know if that's still in the works, but I really hope so. Thanks for the recipe inspiration!
Spicy Sausage Burgers - Ingredients:
Makes 10 large burgers:
3 pounds ground beef
1 pound bulk hot Italian sausage, or remove from casings if using links
10 hamburger buns
cup mayo
2 chipotles in adobe plus tsp of sauce from the can, or to taste
10 slices pepper jack cheese
Directions:
1. Combine ground beef with hot Italian sausage, careful not to over-mix. Form the mixture into patties. From here, the burgers can be covered and refrigerated overnight (this will also help them to stay together on the grill).
2. Combine chopped chipotles and sauce with mayo and mix well. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
3. Heat up your grill. Grill the burgers about 7 minutes per side (this depends on the size and thickness of your burgers as well), until cooked through but still moist. Add the cheese during the last 2 minutes of cooking, and close the cover of your grill to facilitate melting.
4. Put burgers in hamburger bun, topped with the chipotle mayo.
