Caprese Burgers

The boy and I really liked them.  My husband said they were good but not that great, but I think the fiasco he had cooking them on the grill colored his judgement.  You see, pesto is a good percentage of oil and when you put oil soaked burgers on a gas grill, the oil cooks out, and causes a big mess and a big fire!  So, he was a little annoyed with the burgers before he even tasted them.  He said I should warn any of you who might attempt the burgers (and I do recommend that you do:) most emphatically not to cook them on a grill but on the stove in a pan.  No, it wasn't a top 10 burger, but still good.  The boy ate 1 1/2 before we had finished our first, and that is saying something!



Caprese Burgers
 
2 Cup basil leaves
1/4 Cup salted roasted almonds
1 garlic clove
1/2 Cup extra-virgin olive oil plus more for brushing
1/4 Cup grated Pecorino-Romano cheese
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 Lb ground beef chuck
1 Lb ground beef sirloin
8 ounces fresh mozzarella cut into 6 slices
6 brioche hamburger buns split
2 tomatoes sliced
1. In a food processor, combine the basil with the almonds and garlic
and pulse until the almonds are finely chopped. Add the 1/2 cup of olive
oil and process to a paste. Add the grated Pecorino and pulse to combine.
 Season the pesto with salt and pepper. You should have about 1 cup.
2. Transfer 1/4 cup of the pesto to a bowl. Add the ground chuck and
ground sirloin and a pinch of salt and gently knead to blend. Form the
mixture into six 4-inch patties, about 3/4 inch thick. Brush the burger
patties lightly with olive oil. 
3. Light a grill and oil the grates. Grill the burgers over moderately
high heat for 3 minutes. Flip the burgers, top them with the mozzarella
slices and close the grill. Cook for 3 minutes longer for medium-rare
burgers. Grill the buns until lightly toasted, then spread some of the
pesto on the bottoms. Top with the burgers, the tomatoes and the
remaining pesto. Close the burgers and serve right away.