October 8: Big Bistro Burgers with Caramelized Shallots on Grilled Bread with Beet and Goat Cheese Salad

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus some for drizzling
4 large shallots, thinly sliced
   Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons sherry vinegar
2 pounds ground sirloin
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon grill seasoning, such as McCormick's Montreal Steak Seasoning
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
4 thick slices crusty country-style bread
1 8 1/2-ounce can sliced beets, drained and slices cut into sticks
6 cups frisee, arugula, watercress, or baby spinach, your favorite
1 cup crumbled goat cheese

Preheat a grill pan or outdoor grill to high.

Preheat a small skillet over medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons of EVOO. Add the shallots, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 to 6 minutes, or until lightly brown.

Add 2 tablespoons of the sherry vinegar and continue to cook for 1 minute, then remove from the heat and reserve.

While the shallots are getting brown, in a large bowl, combine the beef, thyme, Worcestershire, grill seasoning, and Dijon mustard. Divide the meat into 4 portions. Form large patties about 1 1/4 inches thick. Coat the beef patties with a good drizzle of EVOO. Grill for 5 to 6 minutes per side for medium rare, 7 to 8 minutes per side for medium well to well.

Drizzle or brush EVOO onto both sides of the bread slices, season with salt and pepper, and add to the grill. Cook until well marked on both sides, remove from the grill, and wrap in foil to keep warm.

In a bowl, combine the beets and greens and drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of sherry vinegar, the remaining 3 tablespoons of EVOO, and a little salt and pepper. Toss to coat; add the crumbled goat cheese and toss to distribute.

To serve, divide the grilled bread among 4 serving plates. Top the bread with the beet and goat cheese salad, letting it overflow onto the plates. Transfer the burgers to top the salad and then pile each burger with some of the caramelized shallots. Attack your big bistro burger with a fork and knife, please. This is a bistro!

4 SERVINGS

I marked this recipe "It's a keeper" last time I made it. The salad is excellent, the bread is wonderful, and the shallots are pretty good. I didn't really remember the burger, but this time around, I didn't care for the flavor that much. I am using a different brand of grill seasoning, so maybe that makes a difference. Anyway, I love the flavors of the beets and goat cheese together in the salad! The burgers definitely could have been made with about 1/2 as much meat. They are just way too big! My husband wants me to mention that he will never ever in his life eat beets on a hamburger. He got some cheddar cheese instead. He did taste the salad and didn't hate it. RR's tidbit is: "For the large slices of country-style bread, cut a rectangular loaf lengthwise or a round loaf from the center." I used spinach in the salad, and I changed the fresh thyme to dried.