Mix together all of the dry rub ingredients.

Rub all sides of the hamburger patties with a generous amount of the rub.

Light the grill to high and get your sear burner going if you have one. We need that high heat to caramelize the rub into a crust.

Allow the grill to heat up for at least 10 minutes with the lid closed.

Place the burgers over the hottest part of the grill and grill with the lid open. DON’T try to flip them for at least the first 3 minutes or so. Any earlier and the meat won’t “release” from the grates, leaving behind some delicious rub and probably a little cow.

After about 5 minutes, flip the burgers. You should have a nice black (caramelized) crust on the first side. If not, your grill wasn’t hot enough, so give it a few more minutes.

Once you flip the burgers, place a slice of the smoked gouda on each patty and continue to grill with the lid open.

Continue cooking the burgers on the second side until a meat thermometer reads 150 degrees for medium. reads 150 degrees for medium.

Toast your buns and serve with a little BBQ sauce.