Texas Hold-Ums Mini chipotle beef burgers with warm fire roasted garlic ketchup

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds ground sirloin
• 1 medium onion, peeled and cut in 1/2
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, eyeball it
• 2 chipotles in adobo and 2 tablespoons of adobo sauce
• 2 tablespoons grill seasoning, a couple of palm fulls, (recommended: Montreal Steak Seasoning by McCormick)
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus some for drizzling
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/4 cup vinegar
• 1 (15-ounce) can crushed fire roasted tomatoes, about 2 cups
• Salt and pepper
• 12 slices, 1/2-inch thick, brick-cut smoked Cheddar or sharp Cheddar, (recommended: Cabot), optional
• 12 small round rolls, split
• (Many markets sell mini Keiser rolls or use dinner rolls in any flavor you like)

Preparation:

1. Preheat grill pan to high.
2. Place the meat in a bowl. Cut the onion in half. Grate half the onion into the meat using the small grate on a box grater. Chop and reserve the other half onion. Add Worcestershire, chipotles and sauce and grill seasoning to burgers. Drizzle a little extra-virgin olive oil over the bowl and mix meat. Score the meat into 4 sections. Make 3 mini-burgers, each 3 inches wide, 1-inch thick, from each half-pound of meat.
3. Heat a small sauce pot over medium heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil and garlic. Cook garlic 2 to 3 minutes then add sugar and vinegar, cook 2 minutes more and stir in tomatoes. Season sauce with salt and pepper and allow it to reduce 5 to 6 minutes more.
4. Grill meat 2 to 3 minutes on each side and top with cheese, if you like.
5. Place burgers on buns and top with raw chopped onions and warm fire roasted ketchup and serve.

Notes: