Gouda Burgers with Maple-Asparagus Slaw

Gouda Burgers show my love for great steakhouse flavors, yet simply made in a burger. While on a trip with my sister in Toronto, we had the best steak dinner, complete with asparagus and mashed potatoes. Gouda Burgers reminds me of that trip.

Ingredients:

Patties
• 2 pounds freshly ground chuck
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Maple-Asparagus Slaw
• 1 pound fresh green asparagus, woody ends discarded
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper

Grilling & Garnish
• 2 to 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, for brushing on the grill rack
• 6 ounces blue Gouda cheese
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
• 6 good-quality potato hamburger buns, split

Instructions:

Prepare a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill with a cover, or preheat a gas grill to medium-high.

To make the patties, combine the chuck, salt, pepper, and mustard in a large bowl, handling only as needed to mix ingredients. Shape into 6 patties to fit the bun size. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to grill.

To prepare the Maple-Asparagus slaw, finely julienne or grate only the asparagus stalks with a julienne tool or a grater. Use the asparagus tips in another recipe. Mix mayonnaise, maple syrup, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Add asparagus and mix. Cover and refrigerate the slaw until the burgers are assembled.

To cook the patties, brush the grill rack with vegetable oil. Place the patties on the rack, cover, and cook, turning once, until done to preference, 5 to 7 minutes on each side for medium. Remove burgers from grill. Place the hamburger buns, cut side down, on the outer edges of the rack to toast lightly for 2 minutes.

To assemble the burgers, place equal portions of the Maple-Asparagus slaw on each bun bottom. Top with the patty. Place equal amounts of blue Gouda cheese and fresh thyme on each patty. Add the bun tops and serve with your Sutter Home wine of choice. I prefer Sutter Home’s Merlot with Gouda Burgers.

Makes 6 burgers.