Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Grill (charcoal preferred, gas acceptable)
• •Instant-read meat thermometer
• •Grill brush and oil
• •Large mixing bowl

Instructions

1. 1

   Season the beef

   Place your ground beef in a large bowl. Add one teaspoon of Cajun seasoning, the salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne. Mix gently with your hands, just until the seasonings are distributed. Don't work the meat like you're angry at it. Overhandling makes tough burgers. The beef should look speckled with seasoning throughout.

   Cold beef handles better. Keep it refrigerated until the moment you're ready to mix.
2. 2

   Prepare the boudin filling

   Squeeze the boudin from its casings into a separate bowl. If the boudin came without casings, just break it apart with a fork. Add the remaining teaspoon of Cajun seasoning and mix gently. The filling should be cohesive but not packed tight. Divide into four equal portions, about four ounces each, and roll into balls. This is the heart of your burger.

3. 3

   Form the stuffed patties

   Divide your seasoned beef into eight equal portions, roughly three ounces each. Form each portion into a thin patty about five inches across. Place a boudin ball in the center of four patties. Top each with another beef patty and press the edges together firmly, sealing the boudin inside completely. You're building a pocket. Flatten gently to about three-quarters inch thick. Any gaps in the seal will let the filling escape on the grill.

   Press a small dimple into the center of each patty with your thumb. This prevents the burger from puffing into a ball as it cooks.
4. 4

   Preheat the grill

   Get your grill screaming hot, at least 450 degrees. If using charcoal, you want coals glowing orange with white ash. Gas grills should preheat for a full ten minutes with all burners on high. Clean and oil the grates. A hot grill means better char, better crust, and burgers that don't stick. That sizzle when the patty hits the grate is the sound of success.

5. 5

   Grill the burgers

   Place patties on the hot grill and resist the urge to press them down. Pressing squeezes out juice, and you want every drop staying inside. Cook for five to six minutes on the first side until a dark crust forms and the burger releases easily from the grate. Flip once. Cook another four to five minutes for medium, five to six for medium-well. The internal temperature should reach 160 degrees at the center where the boudin hides.

   One flip only. Every time you touch that burger, you're losing heat and disrupting the crust.
6. 6

   Toast the buns

   While burgers rest, butter the cut sides of your brioche buns generously. Place them butter-side down on the cooler part of the grill for sixty to ninety seconds, until golden brown with slight char marks. Watch them closely. Brioche has sugar and burns faster than regular bread. A toasted bun gives you structure to hold up against all that juice.

7. 7

   Assemble with care

   Spread a generous tablespoon of pepper jelly on the top bun. Place the lettuce on the bottom bun, then the tomato slice. Season the tomato with a pinch of salt. Set the burger on top, letting it rest on that bed of vegetables. Add the pickles and cap with the pepper jelly bun. The jelly will start to melt from the burger's heat, running into every crevice. Serve immediately with Creole mustard on the side.

Chef Tips

• •Source your boudin from a Louisiana shop if you can. Shipping is worth it. The boudin at your local grocery store is not the same creature. At Lagniappe, we use boudin from a family operation in Eunice that's been making it the same way for sixty years.
• •If you can't find pepper jelly, make a quick version: heat a half cup of apple jelly with two tablespoons minced pickled jalapenos until melted. It's not traditional, but it works.
• •These burgers are thick and need time. Don't rush them. An undercooked center means raw boudin, and nobody wants that. Use a thermometer until you've made enough to know by feel.
• •For extra Louisiana flair, add a slice of fried green tomato instead of fresh. The tang and crunch take this somewhere special.

Advance Preparation

• •Stuffed patties can be formed up to 24 hours ahead. Keep them on a parchment-lined sheet pan in the refrigerator, covered tightly. Cold patties actually hold together better on the grill.
• •Pepper jelly can be warmed slightly before serving for easier spreading. Just don't make it hot enough to melt through the bun before the burger arrives.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 440g)