![Smoked Gouda and Bacon Burgers with Barbecue Sauce](https://cdn.statically.io/img/www.foodandwine.com/thmb/MOpltrfmqn7oV6yV0sjcStrm3C4=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/HD-201206-r-smoked-gouda-and-bacon-burgers-with-barbecue-sauce-9a9f773d6af843a5a54541677afbf7a8.jpg)
© MARCUS NILSSON
Ingredients
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2 tablespoons vegetable oil
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1 (1-pound) onion, halved and thinly sliced
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Kosher salt
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1/4 cup Frank’s RedHot or other hot sauce
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1/4 cup beef broth
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6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
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8 (1/2-inch-thick) slices of firm white bread
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8 slices of thick-cut bacon
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2 pounds ground beef chuck (20% fat), formed into 4 patties the same size as the bread slices
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3 ounces smoked Gouda, shredded (1 cup)
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1/4 cup Sweet Barbecue Sauce
Directions
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In a large skillet, heat the oil. Add the sliced onion and a pinch of salt, cover and cook, stirring a few times, until the onion is crisp-tender and just turning translucent, 5 minutes. Stir in the hot sauce and beef broth and remove from the heat. Season with salt.
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Heat a large griddle. Spread the butter on 1 side of each bread slice and griddle buttered side down over moderate heat until toasted, about 2 minutes. Transfer the toasts to a plate. Add the bacon to the griddle and cook over moderate heat until crisp, about 4 minutes per side; drain on paper towels. Wipe off the griddle.
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Season the beef patties with salt and cook on the griddle over moderately high heat until medium-rare, about 2 minutes per side. Top each burger with 1/4 cup of smoked Gouda and cook until the cheese melts, 1 minute.
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Set the burgers on the unbuttered sides of 4 toasts. Top with the bacon, onion and Sweet Barbecue Sauce. Close the burgers and serve, passing more barbecue sauce at the table.
Make Ahead
The onion can be refrigerated overnight and reheated gently before serving.
Suggested Pairing
Slows boasts a superb lineup of beers on tap—mostly from Michigan—and this indulgent burger can handle a beer with pretty assertive hops. Try Bell’s Third Coast Old Ale or New Holland Brewing’s Mad Hatter IPA, both from Slows’s home state.