This cow milk cheese from Auvergne is creamy and a bit spicy. The piquant bleuing gives balance and flavor to the beef.

Ingredients	Amount
Bread crumbs	½ cup
Whole milk	2 Tbsp.
Lean Ground Beef	2 lbs.
Egg, beaten	1
Black pepper	½ tsp.
Fresh thyme leaves, minced	½ tsp.
Garlic, minced fine	1 tsp.
Cayenne pepper	⅛ tsp.
Fourme d' Ambert, crumbled	¾ cup
Kosher salt	½ tsp.
Hamburger rolls	8 each
Butter, melted	3 Tbsp.
Romaine leaves or green leaf	4 large
Ripe tomato, sliced	1 large
Red onion, sliced	1 each

Method

1. Combine the bread crumbs and milk in a small bowl and allow the crumbs to moisten. Add the ground meat, egg, pepper, thyme, garlic, and cayenne and mix slightly to combine. Do not overmix the meat.

2. Divide meat mixture into 8 equal portions, shaping each into a 5-inch patty. Chill for 1 hour.

3. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat and rub with oil. Sprinkle with kosher salt.

4. Season the patties with kosher salt and place patties on the grill rack. Grill 4 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness; do not press down on the burger or you will lose all the juiciness. After flipping to the second side, top with about 2 tablespoons of the crumble bleu cheese. Cook for another 2 minutes. Remove from heat and rest for 3-4 minutes; keep warm.

5. Brush the cut sides of the rolls with the melted butter; place cut sides down on grill rack, and grill 30 seconds or until toasted. Serve patties on toasted rolls with desired toppings.

Yield: 8 portions