All Around the World Burgers

Plum sauce, blue cheese and basil add extraoridnary flavor to everday grilled hamburgers.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
• 1/2 pound bulk chorizo
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons garam marsala
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 cup plum sauce
• 6 ounces blue cheese
• 6 onion buns
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• 2 large tomatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 3 dill pickles, sliced thin
• 1 ounce fresh basil leaves

Directions:

Prepare an open grill for moderate direct heat cooking. In a medium bowl, combine beef, pork and salt. Form into six hamburgers. Sprinkle with garam marsala and chili powder. Place hamburgers on grill rack. Cook to desired doneness, about 5 minutes on each side. Turn hamburgers and spread with two heaping tablespoons plum sauce on each burger. Grill for 5 minutes more. Crumble cheese on hamburgers for last 3 minutes of cooking. Transfer to a plate. Brush buns with melted butter and grill on rack until toasted. Assemble each burger as follows: bun bottom, two tomato slices, four dill pickle slices, six basil leaves, hamburger and bun top.

Number of Servings: 6

Notes from the Cook: Plum sauce seems an odd thing to put on hamburgers, but as I went through last year's canning I realized I had forgotten to use any of the six jars I put up. Anyway, it was so good I don't think I'll ever use barbeque sauce again.