STUFFED ROASTED GARLIC PASTE AND BLUE CHEESE HAMBURGERS

Stuffed Roasted Garlic Paste and Blue Cheese Hamburgers image

Provided by Michael Chiarello : Food Network

Time 1h10m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 8

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2 pounds ground chuck
Sea salt, preferably gray sea salt, and freshly ground black pepper
Garlic Paste, recipe follows
Blue Cheese
1 loaf good crusty bread, cut into 4 sections
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound peeled garlic cloves, store bought
Gray sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Steps:

Preheat the grill. In a bowl, mix the meat. Form 4 (3-ounce patties) by using a scoop. Push them down and make little indentations in the middle to hold the flavors. Place a teaspoon of garlic paste in the middle of each patty and add a little chunk of blue cheese tucked right on top of the garlic paste. Add a good twist of black pepper. Take another 3 ounce scoop of meat, make it flat in your hand and place right on top of the other half.
Take your fingers and just seal the 2 patties up and refrigerate until you are ready to grill.
Meanwhile: Split the pieces of bread, and pull out some of the soft center to make a hole for the burger. Place the bread face down on the grill to toast.
Place the burger in the bread, and top with your favorite condiments.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Heat an ovenproof saucepan on the stovetop. When it's hot, add the extra-virgin olive oil. Next, add the cloves and season with salt and pepper. Let the cloves begin to caramelize, then put the pan in the preheated oven.
Roast cloves in the oven for about 30 minutes or until they are nicely browned. (Starting the garlic on the stove will save at least 20 minutes of roasting time). Let cool.
When cool enough to handle easily, put the roasted garlic into a small bowl, mash with a fork and add oil from the pan until a paste forms. Store, tightly covered, in the refrigerator, for up to 1 week.