Smoked Gouda Smash Burgers
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ tablespoon canola or vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 4 to 6 ounces smoked gouda cheese thinly sliced
- buns for serving
- lettuce tomato, red onion (whatever else you like)
(For the House Sauce):
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon your favorite BBQ sauce
DIRECTIONS:
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Separate the ground beef into equal portions – most most likely 4 or 6 equal parts. Form into balls so they smash into a more circular burger, but it’s not necessary.
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Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. You want it to be hot, so heat it for a few minutes.
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Once it’s hot and your burgers are ready to go, quickly brush the skillet with oil and place half of the butter on the skillet. It will smoke, so work quickly. Place one of the balls of beef on the skillet and smash it down with a spatula once or twice. You want it to be about ½ inch in thickness (or a little less if you wish) and want to try and smash it only 2 or 3 times. Season it with salt and pepper and repeat with the rest of the beef. Cook them for 2 to 3 minutes and then flip, season with salt on the other side and cook for 2 minutes more. Add the cheese and let it melt.
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Remove the burgers with a spatula and serve immediately with the house sauce, on buns, with lettuce, tomato and onion if you wish.
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(For the House Sauce): Whisk all ingredients together until creamy and smooth and combined. Serve for dipping or as a sauce on burgers and sandwiches.
© Recipe courtesy of How Sweet Eats.
JULY WINE CLUB:
Thelema Mountain Vineyards
Shiraz
Stellenbosch, South Africa
BOLD WINE STYLE
Aromatic and inviting, this flavorful Shiraz shows a spicy white pepper undertone with cassis and dark red fruit aromas of mulberries. It is characterized by versatility, demonstrating a smooth, soft palate with a savory finish.
WINE DETAILS:
- Varietal: Shiraz
- Analysis: 13.5% alcohol / volume
- pH: 3.48
- Residual Sugar: 2.1 g/L
- Total Acid: 5.5 g/L
- Food Pairing: Grilled meats, meaty casseroles and mature cheeses
VITICULTURAL PRACTICES:
- Varietal: Shiraz, clone SH99/SH9C/SH1A
- Root stock: 101-14, R110
- Soil type: Hutton – decomposed granite
- Age of vines: Planted 2000 & 2001
- Plant density: 2300-3200 vines per hectare
- Trellising: VSP & Guyot
- Pruning: 2-bud spurs every 12cm & cane pruning
- Yield: Approximately 11.2 t/ha
- Irrigation: Supplementary drip
- Vintage: A warm, dry vintage with a late start, resulted in smaller tonnage but yielding balanced, well structured wines with lovely intensity
- Grape sugar: 23.2-24.2 *B
- Acidity: 5.0 g/l
- pH at harvest: 3.4-3.5
WINEMAKING PRACTICES:
- Yeasts: Enoferm Syrah
- Fermentation temp: 78.8-80.6ºF
- Method: The grapes were gently de-stemmed, retaining as many whole berries as possible, before passing over an additional vibrating table to remove all MOG (matter other than grapes), after which a displacement pump takes the fruit to its fermentation tank. The tanks are then inoculated with a specific commercial yeast strain, this way insuring the development of the perfect flavor profile. Fermentation is done in stainless steel fermenters, and combination of aerated pump overs and punch down techniques are used to ensure optimal color, tannin and flavor extraction. Once fermentation is complete, the wine is drained off the skins and moved to a holding tank to be barreled down. Malolactic fermentation takes place in the barrels.
- Mood Maturation: 18 months in barrel, 30% new French and the balance in older barrels
ABOUT THELEMA MOUNTAIN VINEYARDS:
After leaving his accounting career to become a winemaker, Gyles Webb, and the help of his wife’s family, the McLean’s, purchased Thelema in 1983. The manor house was restored and the first wines under the Thelema label were released in 1988. By the mid 90’s, their wines sold out within a month of release, making it one of the most sought-after wine estates in South Africa. The Webb family describe Thelema as “one of the most beautiful places on earth”. Situated on the Southeastern side of the Simonsberg Mountain, with elevations 1739 feet above sea level and mainly south-facing slopes, Thelema Mountain Vineyards possesses some of the highest elevations in Stellenbosch, South Africa. These high altitudes and the rich red soils are ideal for premium quality wine grape production. The Webb family believes grape quality is the single most important factor in serious winemaking; their policy is one of minimum interference, allowing the wines to be a true expression of each vineyard. Learn more about the winery here.
Information, Photos & Video © Thelema Mountain Vineyards – All Rights Reserved.
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