Burgers with Blue Cheese

To make the caramelized onion jam, in a saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the onion, vinegar, wine, sugar and thyme and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is very soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the agave syrup and stir to coat the onion. Cook until the onion begins to caramelize and the mixture is thick and syrupy, 1 to 2 minutes more; do not allow the jam to burn. The jam will thicken as it cools. Serve immediately, or cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 1 week.

Put the ground beef in a bowl and generously season with salt and pepper. Add the cold water as needed to moisten the meat. Using wet hands, gently work the seasoning and water into the meat, working quickly to keep the meat cool and being careful not to overwork it. Divide the meat into 4 portions and shape each into a patty 3 to 3 1/2 inches in diameter and about 1 inch thick. Transfer the patties to a platter lined with parchment or waxed paper. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes or freeze for 10 minutes.

Prepare a hot fire in a grill. Brush and oil the grill grate.

Brush the hamburger patties on both sides with some of the melted butter and generously season again with salt and pepper. Grill the burgers directly over high heat until they are nicely grill-marked and their juices begin to rise to the surface, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn the burgers over and grill the other side. Move the burgers over indirect heat until cooked to your liking. During the last few minutes of grilling, brush the cut sides of the rolls with the remaining melted butter and grill, cut side down, until lightly toasted, about 1 minute. Turn the rolls over and grill for about 30 seconds more.

Serve the hamburgers on the grilled rolls topped with the blue cheese, lettuce, caramelized onion jam, ketchup and mustard. Serves 4.

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma On the Grill, by Willie Cooper (Oxmoor House, 2009).