Louie Louie Burgers

The jury is still out on whether Crab Louie was invented in San Francisco or Seattle. But there’s no doubt about the movement to make the Kingsmen’s “Louie Louie” be Washington State’s official song.

Ingredients:

Dressing
3 tablespoons prepared cocktail sauce
4 tablespoons mayonnaise
3 tablespoons grated Walla Walla onion
1-1/2 tablespoons pickled capers, chopped
2 hard boiled eggs, finely chopped
1/8 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

Patties
2 pounds lean (85%), organic ground beef such as Dakota brand
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup grated yellow onion
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon herbs d’Provence blend
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Vegetable oil for brushing grill rack
6 organic, artisanal whole wheat hamburger buns
6 thin center slices, Walla Walla sweet onion
1-1/2 cups chiffonade of cabbage and iceberg lettuce
18 spears pickled Washington grown asparagus

Instructions:

Directions
1. Pre-heat a gas grill to medium-high.
2. Place cocktail sauce, mayonnaise, grated Walla Walla onion, chopped capers, chopped hard boiled egg and Tabasco sauce in a small bowl. Blend and set aside to chill.
3. For patties, in a medium bowl, place ground beef, Worcestershire sauce, grated yellow onion, salt, and herbs d’Provence to combine loosely with a fork. Form into six patties the diameter of the rolls, making a slight depression in the middle of the patties to compensate for the tendency to bulge during cooking.
4. Brush vegetable oil over grill rack. Grill patties with top closed for 4 minutes; turn and grill 4 more minutes or until internal temperature reaches 160º.
5. During the last 2 minutes of grilling the patties, place rolls cut side down on the grill to toast.
6. To assemble burgers, spread bottoms of rolls with dressing; add lettuce leaves. Add patties; top with pickled asparagus, trimming extra length if necessary. Close with bun tops and serve.
Makes 6 burgers.