Burgers with a secret inside

Hamburgers may seem a might improper to be promoting during Lent. Well, Sundays are for celebration, even during this most penitent of seasons. And if you want to celebrate with a hamburger, you might as well try these. I used local, grass-fed ground beef because I have lost all faith in meat processors' ability to keep E. coli out of their products and I think local farmers deserve our support. And I love the taste.

Lori K's fancy burgers 
Serves 4
© 2012, Lori Korleski Richardson
Ingredients
1 cup shredded Gouda cheese
1/4 cup finely chopped shallots
1 pound ground beef or veal
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions
Mix cheese and shallots in a medium bowl. Gently mix meat, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper in another bowl.
Divide veal mixture into 8 equal portions. Form 4 patties 1/8-inch thick. Place 1/4 cup cheese mixture atop each patty; form 4 more patties and top the first ones. Seal at edges to enclose cheese mixture. Grill burgers and cook about 5 minutes per side.
Serve on toasted buns or as part of a meal. We had a half-plate of salad with yellow bell peppers, avocado, grape tomatoes, pistachios and pomegranate seeds, and a scoop of mashed potatoes.