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Smoked Gouda Pork Burgers with Applesauce & Brussels Sprout Slaw

These Smoked Gouda Pork Burgers feature meaty pork patties blanketed with gooey gouda and topped with creamy shaved Brussels Sprout Slaw. And if that weren't enticing enough, these burgers are served up on homemade kaiser buns slathered with tangy applesauce.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Proofing Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Course Main Course
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

Poppy Seed Kaiser Buns **

  • ¾ cup lukewarm water
  • 1½ tsp dry active yeast
  • 1½ tsp granulated sugar
  • 1¼ tsp salt
  • 1 large egg
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter softened, cut into cubes
  • ¼ cup milk I used 2%
  • 2 tbsp poppy seeds for sprinkling

Applesauce

  • 2 Royal Gala apples peeled, cored, and coarsely chopped
  • ½ cup water
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp mustard seeds
  • 1 cinnamon stick

Brussels Sprout Slaw

  • 2 cups Brussels sprouts shaved using a mandolin
  • 6 radishes thinly sliced and cut into matchsticks
  • ¾ cup Greek yogurt
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • ¾ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp celery seed

Smoked Gouda Pork Burgers

  • 454g (1 lb) ground pork
  • 1 large egg
  • ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 2 tbsp fresh sage finely sliced
  • 1 tbsp yellow mustard heaping
  • 1½ tsp whole grain mustard heaping
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 6-8 slices smoked gouda

Instructions
 

For the Kaiser Buns

  • Pour the water into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Sprinkle the yeast over the surface of the water and let stand for 10 minutes or until foamy. Once the yeast is foamy, add the salt, sugar, and egg. Whisk on medium until combined.
  • Replace the whisk attachment with a dough hook and add a cup and a half of the flour. Mix on medium-low until the flour is well integrated. Add the remaining flour in 1/4 cup increments, waiting until each addition is folded in before adding more. Only add as much flour as you need to form a dough that cleans the sides of the bowl and is sticky but not tacky.
  • Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead by hand for roughly 7 minutes or until the dough feels elastic and silky to the touch. Transfer the dough to a bowl greased with olive oil and cover. Let rise in a warm place for 1 - 1 ½ hours or until doubled in size.
  • Once the dough has risen, punch it down and divide it into six even pieces. Roll one of the pieces out to form a long rope. Wrap one half of the rope around your hand. Take the remaining tail and coil it around the circle you formed. When the ends meet, simply tuck them towards the center of the bun like a belly button.*** Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough.
  • Place the formed buns on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover the buns and set aside to rise a second time. This should take about an hour. You can start preheating the oven to 425°F halfway through the second rise.
  • When the buns have risen, brush them with the milk and sprinkle the poppy seeds over top. Place the buns in the oven and bake for 15-17 minutes or until golden.
  • Transfer the buns to a cooling rack and let cool completely.

For the Applesauce

  • Place all of the ingredients in a small saucepan and place over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Let simmer for 15 minutes or until most of the liquid has been absorbed and the apple is tender.
  • Remove the cinnamon stick and place the apples in a large food processor. Blitz until very smooth. Transfer the sauce to a bowl and let cool to room temperature before covering and storing in the fridge.

Brussels Sprout Slaw

  • Place the Brussels sprouts and radishes in a large bowl and set aside.
  • In a medium-sized bowl, whisk to combine the yogurt, vinegar, honey, salt, and celery seed. Pour the mixture over the Brussels sprouts and toss to coat. Cover and transfer to the fridge until ready to eat.

For the Burgers

  • Place all of the ingredients, except for the gouda, in a large bowl. Using a clean hand, mix the ingredients together until cohesive. Divide the mixture into four patties and set aside.
  • Pour a little oil into a large cast-iron skillet and place over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering add the patties to the skillet and fry for 3-5 minutes on one side. Flip the burgers and place the gouda evenly over the cooked surface of each burger. Place a lid over the skillet and cook for 3 minutes more or until the cheese has melted and the burgers feel springy to the touch.
  • While the burgers are frying, toast 4 buns. Slather the bottom buns with applesauce and place the burger on top. Finish the burgers with a crown of the Brussels Sprout Slaw. Serve immediately with cold beers.

Notes

** The Kaiser Roll recipe was adapted from King Arthur Flour's website. 
*** If you need more guidance on how to form the buns, check out this video. 
Keyword applesauce, Brussels sprouts, burger, ground pork, smoked gouda