Smoke on the Prairie Burger (Smoky Beef & Bison Burger with Smoked Gouda, Grilled Corn Salsa and Arugula)
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds ground chuck
½ pound ground bison
1/2 cup cilantro leaves plus 2 Tablespoons, chopped (divided)
1/2 cup white onion, grated
4 Tablespoons canned chilies, diced (divided)
3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon ground cumin (divided)
1 ½ teaspoons Lawry’s seasoned salt
1Tablespoon liquid hickory smoke
1 ear corn on the cob
½ cup roma tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup orange pepper, diced
¼ cup red onion, diced
2 Tablespoons chicken stock
2 Tablespoons pineapple juice
Dash hot sauce
Salt & pepper
2 to 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, for brushing on the grill rack
6 slices of smoked Wisconsin Gouda cheese
2 cups baby arugula, washed and torn in small pieces
6 good-quality rolls
Instructions
Prepare a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill with a cover, or preheat a gas grill to medium-high.
Patties
To make the patties, combine the chuck, bison, cilantro, grated onion, 2 Tablespoons chilies, garlic, 1 Tablespoon cumin, seasoned salt and liquid hickory smoke in a large bowl. Mix to combine, handling as little as possible. Shape into 6 patties to fit the size of the rolls. Loosely. cover with plastic wrap and set aside.
Grilled Corn Salsa:
To prepare the corn topping, grill one ear of corn until it is golden and has grill marks. Transfer to cutting board and allow to cool. In a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, pepper, red onion, 2 tablespoons chile’s, 2 tablespoons cilantro, chicken stock, pineapple juice, 1 teaspoon cumin, hot sauce and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cut corn kernels off of cob and toss with mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside.
Grilling
When the grill is ready, 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. During the last 3 minutes of grilling time, place 1 slice of Gouda on each patty to melt. Split rolls and place cut side down on the grill. Grill rolls until golden.
Assembling/Serving
To assemble, place 1 Gouda-topped patty on the bottom half of each roll. Top each with an equal amount of arugula and corn topping. Top with bun halves and serve immediately.
Makes 6 burgers.