Jucy Lucy

The Jucy Lucy is a cheeseburger with the meat inside the patty, rather than on top. The dish originates in Minneapolis, with the specific establishment (and spelling) being a matter of some debate. As much as this blog tends to focus on international cuisine, I do especially enjoy celebrating foods of the American Midwest. Although the Jucy Lucy hails from my home state, I've only had the opportunity to taste one once, until now. What makes it unique from a normal cheeseburger is the cheese explosion you get when biting in. Since the cheese is concentrated in the center, it's a more heterogeneous experience, with some bites being much cheesier than others.

I did a bit of research, and there was quite a bit of variation in the amount of meat, cheese, and type of cheese used. American cheese is the classic choice, but I think there's room for experimentation. I went with a sharp cheddar (Wooden Shoe brand from Corsica, South Dakota). I used my standard size beef patty, which is 5 ounces (just under 1/3 pound) each. This was plenty big enough to accommodate the cheese. I used rendered bacon fat saved from BLTs to fry the burgers, but go with what you have. Toppings included our homegrown tomatoes.

One thing that really kicked up these burgers were the buns. We had originally planned to use store-bought buns, but ran out of them midweek making other sandwiches. Ariel made these delicious buns based on a recipe from King Arthur Flour, but with bread flour instead of all purpose, and whey replacing the water. I'm not sure how much of a difference the whey makes, but the breads she's been producing with it have been great. For a few of them, we tried sprinkling some everything bagel seasoning on top, which was a good addition.

Ingredients (per sandwich)

• 5 oz. ground beef
• 1 oz. sharp cheddar, or other good melting cheese
• Salt and pepper
• Fat for frying (vegetable oil, bacon fat, etc.)
• 1 hamburger bun
• Choice of condiments and toppings

Instructions

Divide the beef into two loose balls. Press into two thin circles. Cut the cheese into small pieces and place in the center of one of the patties. 

Top with the other patty, and pinch all around to seal. Season both sides with salt and pepper.

Heat the fat on medium-high. Cook the burgers for a few minutes on each side, until well-browned. Move them around as they cook to get an even sear. 

Serve on buns with your favorite condiments and toppings. We used mayo, lettuce, tomato, pickle, and ketchup.