Goat Cheese-Stuffed Burger with Tangy Goat Cheese-Cucumber Dressing

For the burgers:
Preheat your grill (or stove-top grill pan) to high.

In a medium-sized bowl, add the salt and pepper to the ground beef and gently mix well. Don’t squish the meat in your fists, but gently “toss” it around in the bowl. The less you handle the meat, the better.

In a small bowl combine the goat cheese, lemon zest and garlic. Grab a large plate or platter to set the patties on.

Score the meat while it’s in the bowl so the meat is divided evenly. Divide it into 4 or 5 sections, depending on how thick you want your burgers.

Take out the amount for one burger and divide that in half. Make two very flat patties out of them. Place a large spoonful of the goat cheese mixture into the center of one of the patties. Top with the other patty and seal the edges the best you can. Set the patty on the platter. Repeat with remaining ground beef and goat cheese mixture.

Grill burgers over high heat for 10-15 minutes total, flipping once, until they’re cooked all the way through.

Meanwhile, make the dressing: Combine all of the dressing ingredients (except the cucumber and cilantro) in a food processor and process until smooth. You could whisk it, but I would recommend at least using a blender or a hand mixer to break up the goat cheese evenly. Stir in the cucumber and cilantro.

When they are done put the burgers on a clean platter. Assemble the burgers on top of the buns with whatever toppings you like and drizzling the dressing over the meat.

Note: This dressing is fantastic with steak that’s coated in a cumin-coriander-cayenne spice rub. Just sayin’.

Burgers from Perry’s Plate. Dressing adapted lightly from Food Network Magazine, June/July 2009.