When you think of Paul Bunyan, you think of the woods, camping, and nature. He’s all about taking on big challenges and eating a hearty meal. The Paul Bunyan burger was inspired by one of my favorite burger joints in MN, the Blue Door Pub. They have a seasonal burger that’s one of my favorites (called the lumberjack burger) in this style. This burger packs in some spice with cayenne pepper and then cools it down with Gouda cheese and some maple syrup. That’s right a maple syrup burger! Spicy and savory meets sweet in a perfect combo.
If you’re not familiar with Paul Bunyan, he’s a character from lumberjack folklore, who was the ultimate lumberjack. Tales detail how productive he was, how much he could eat and his giant blue ox. While they may be tall tales, we know Paul would love this burger. Man up and take one down!
Thanks to Adam Turman for the awesome Minnesota icons print (including Paul Bunyan) in the background of the photos.
Paul Bunyan Burger
The Paul Bunyan burger, a maple syrup burger, packs in some spice with cayenne pepper and then cools it down with Gouda cheese and some maple syrup.
Ingredients
- 2 Lbs Ground Chuck Beef 80% lean / 20% fat
- 4 Tsp Salt
- 1 Tsp Pepper
- 1 Tsp Cayenne Pepper
- Maple Syrup
- 4 Hamburger Buns
- 8 Pieces Bacon
- 4 Slices Gouda Cheese
Instructions
- Begin cooking bacon. You can put it in a pan, in the oven for 15-20 min at 400 degrees.
- Get your grill/pan/etc hot.
- Mix salt, pepper, and cayenne with the meat. Flatten into patties that are about 1/2 inch larger than the buns.
- Put a thumbprint in the middle of the patty so it doesn’t puff up when cooking.
- Grill your burgers about 4min on the first side.
- Flip burgers and immediately add cheese. Put the buns face down on the grill. Cook until you reach the correct temp (140F for medium), usually about 2 to 4 minutes.
- Place bacon on top of your burger on the bun and then pour maple syrup over the top. Yum!
