Juicy Lucy

A Jucy Lucy is a stuffed cheeseburger with the cheese inside of the meat instead of on top, resulting in a melted core of cheese. Two bars in Minneapolis, Minnesota claim to be the inventor of the burger, while other bars and restaurants have created their own interpretations of the style.

A debate rages on.  Google has chimed in.  A Google Search for “Jucy Lucy” resulted in 116,000 results.  A search for “Juicy Lucy” resulted in 1.8 million results.  O.E.D. spelling rules here.

Regardless of how it is spelled, this is a great treat for your next BBQ.

Per Person Ingredients

• • For 1 sandwich
    • 1 hamburger bun
    • 2 ground beef patties- thin
      • about 3 ounces each
    • Sliced mild Cheddar cheese
      • Traditionally 1-2 slices of American Cheese are used.  We prefer Cheddar.
      • I prefer sliced because you get more cheese.  Shredded cheese melts better, but is less dense.  That is also why I use medium heat, rather than high.  It gives the cheese time to become molten.
    • Other ingredients used along the way
      • Onion, Pickle, Relish

1. 1. OPT:  Saute thinly sliced onions in 1 TBL butter. Go for as much caramelization as you like.  Set aside
   2. OPT:  Cook two slices of bacon per burger.  Set aside
   3. Brush melted butter on the inside surfaces of the hamburger bun and place on a pan or griddle on low heat.
   4. While the bun is toasting, flatten each beef patty so that it’s no more than ¼ inch thick.
   5. Place shredded cheese in the middle of one of the patties, leaving just a bit of a border.
   6. Then cover it with the other patty.
   7. Push the patties and pinch the edges, so that they merge into a single patty – assuring there are no holes for the cheese to seep through.
   8. Place meat on a griddle or pan over medium heat. Cook no more than 5 minutes per side or until cheesy juices start spilling out.
      • I usually cook the first side 4 minutes, then the other 2-3 minutes.
      • I used a cast iron grill pan.  It works great.
   9. Add pickles to the bottom bun, If desired, place onion thinly sliced or sauteed,  and bacon, then add the cooked burger and top bun.
   10. Be very careful.  The cheese is hot.