stuffed turkey burgers

i know that the sweltering heat may have folks in a comatose state, on their couches, in front of an a.c. unit, but i know better than to let the heat get the best of me. it won't be long before the cold winds take over and we are under frostbite warnings. instead, i'm learning to embrace the weather- one season at a time. after a days work, we head down to the beach and let the cool waters of lake superior chill us down. the icy waters pair wonderfully with the hot sun.

i was thinking about friends who work in restaurants, and how ridiculously hot it will be in their kitchens. the warm weather, the hot grills and ovens turning their kitchens into sweltering infernos. i remember those days when i was slinging hot saute pans around restaurants in the twin cities. the heat is so intense, it gets into your bones, and it takes hours of soaking under cool water and slurping cold brews before your senses return. i want for all of them to jump into lake superior.

during warmer days, when it is not an option to fire up the oven or stove top, i rely on our trusty grill. it is perched on our deck, where the cool breezes and fogs roll in from the lake, and gently blow across our faces. yesterday i was in the mood for burgers. i love grass-fed beef, but i didn't have any on hand. what i did have was ground turkey. i know, i know....but let me explain. turkey burgers can dry out a bit while you're cooking them, so you need to add a bit of fat the the lean ground meat to keep it moist. i did a little research, and in the test kitchens of cook's illustrated, they added cream soaked bread crumbs and bacon fat for the ultimate results. armed with this knowledge, i added a small amount of bacon fat and butter, along with some fresh chopped herbs and garlic, and the end results were fantastic!! oh, did i mention that i also stuffed the burgers with some eichten's smoked gouda i happened to have in the fridge? topped with avocados, spinach, and horseradish mayo we were happy with the results!

stuffed turkey burgers

1 pound ground turkey (preferably dark meat)
1 Tbl bacon fat
1 Tbl butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 sprig fresh rosemary, chopped
1 spig fresh thyme, chopped
1/2 tsp smoked sea salt
1/2 tsp cracked black pepper

in a bowl, combine the above ingredients. divide the turkey mixture into four equal portions. with each portion, remove about 1/3 of the portion and set aside. with the remaining amount, form into a patty, top with a thick slab of smoked gouda, and using the remaining 1/3 of the turkey burger potion, place it on top of the cheese and smooth it together with the rest of the patty, creating a stuffed burger. make sure all of the cheese is encased in the burger! repeat with the remainder of the burgers.

preheat your grill! when the grill is ready, place the burgers on the grill, and grill for approximately 5-7 minutes on each side. you don't want to over-cook the burgers, so watch them carefully!

we served our burgers on grilled wild rice buns, but foccocia or some really good sourdough bread would be great. just give them a drizzle of olive oil and toast them a bit on the grill. we topped our burgers with avocado, spinach, and a dollop of horseradish mayo. enjoy!!