Summer grilling has just been elevated to a new level of flavor with Smokey Tomato Jam!
You have got to try this burger!
Summer time in Nashville is burger time and I can’t think of anything better than hanging out on a Sunday evening with a glass of wine waiting for the grill to be just right to cook this savory burger to perfection! For those of us lucky enough to live in Nashville, we have a cornucopia of quality local products available to us from nearby farms. Porter Road Butcher, my favorite neighborhood butcher, sources local Tennessee grass-fed beef and smokey local bacon for building the perfect burger.
Red Gold sent a sample pack of several varieties of tomatoes for Summer Grillin’ Party recipes. I decided to create one of my own recipes that reflect the local Nashville music and culinary scene by incorporating quality local ingredients. Nashville aka Music City is known globally for its music scene and our burgeoning culinary scene. On any given night, you’ll be able to hear lots of jammin’ from the honky tonks downtown on Broadway.
How about a smokey, sweet, tangy tomato jam to top off a juicy burger with crispy local bacon that was smoked in-house at Porter Road Butcher? By stirring in a couple of tablespoonfuls of the smokey tomato jam into the mayo all the flavors are melded together in the big, bold and satisfying flavors of this smokin’ rockin’ burger.
Say Cheese!
The Bloomy Rind located inside Porter Road Butcher has amazing artisan cheeses from around the country. Kathleen (owner and cheese expert) suggested everyone’s favorite! Red Rock is an American style from Wisconsin, naturally rinded cheddar cheese with a slight blue vein. Richly colored with annatto and cave aged to maturity. Mild flavored with a creamy texture. Made with pasteurized cow’s milk and aged at least 60 days.
Hopefully, you can find this cheese in your area or click on this link to order some for your next burger adventure! Or, a slice or two of sharp cheddar cheese will be sooo delicious too!
The Smokin’ Tomato Jam complements the savory burger, smokey bacon and tangy,creamy Red Rock cheese and the Smokin’ Mayo just brings it all together. Get the recipe below. Time to chow down!
( recipe below )
Time to chow down!
- 1 pound 80/20 freshly ground beef (one pound for every 4 servings)
- 1 can Red Gold Petite Diced Tomatoes with Garlic and Olive Oil, very well drained
- Seasoning Mix for burgers:
- 1T Kosher Salt, 1 tsp sugar, cumin,ground pepper, 1/2 tsp ground coriander:
- Buns, brushed with olive oil, salt and pepper
- Smokey Bacon, cooked til crisp 2 to 3 pieces per burger
- 2 cans Red Gold Petite Diced Tomatoes with Garlic and Olive Oil –not drained
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp Smoked Paprika
- 1 T apple cider vinegar
- 3/4 cup mayo
- Medium or Sharp Cheddar Cheese slices or your favorite cheese
- Spinach leaves
- Smokey Tomato Jam:
- To saucepan over med heat, add 2 cans tomatoes, brown sugar, cumin, smoked paprika,vinegar
- Simmer until thick and jammy 30 to 45 min.
- Remove from heat and cool
- Drain off any excess juice
- To ground beef, add 1 drained can of Petite Dice Red Gold Tomatoes with Olive oil and garlic
- Mix to distribute evenly
- Divide meat into 4 equal patties (each pound for 4 servings)
- In a small bowl with a fork or small whisk, incorporate the seasonings together
- Sprinkle each side with seasoning mix; store the remainder in a bag for future uses
- Prep Grill for cooking burgers and grill to desired doneness
- Toast buns on grill
- Smokey Tomato Mayo: add 1 to 2 heaping tablespoonfuls of cooled smokey tomato jam to mayo
- Mix thoroughly
- Assemble burgers by adding a dollop of Tomato Jam mayo, burger with cheese
- Top with tomato jam and crispy bacon