Take half of the ground beef and form it into a mound. Place a plate on top and press. Repeat with the remaining half of the ground beef. Create a deep indent in the center of the Patty with your thumb. ** Season with salt and pepper and place the patties in the fridge.
While the burgers are chilling prep all your toppings and, if necessary preheat your grill. I fill two BBQ baskets with coals on either side of the BBQ and place a cast-iron griddle in the center. I then heated the grill to about 375°F. ***
Once the griddle is smoking hot, add the butter followed by a tablespoon of olive oil. Add your patties to the griddle and cook for 2-3 minutes a side. When you flip the burgers the first time add the gouda. Cook the burger for a minute more before adding a slice of American cheese. Put the cover on the BBQ and cook for an additional minute.
Take the burgers off of the griddle and set the aside. Working quickly, rub the buns in the residual butter and burger juice and place them directly over the coals, or over high heat if using a stove. Toast until golden.
Build your burger to your taste. But here's how I do it. I like to start by adding mustard, ketchup, and pickles to the bottom bun. Then on top of that, I put the first of two installments of lettuce. **** On top of the lettuce I place the burger and top it with onion, tomato, and yet more lettuce. Finally, I take the top bun, slather it with mayo, and place on top. Serve immediately with a side of fries.