- You gotta love gooey melty cheese on top of a burger.
Well, the Juicy Lucy flips that
and puts the cheese on the inside.
So stick around and we'll show you the can't-miss techniques
on how to make the perfect Juicy Lucy.
(gentle upbeat music)
The Juicy Lucy has become infamous in the burger world.
And some say that it was invented
at Matt's Bar in Minneapolis,
where they decided to take two thin patties
and put cheese in the middle,
and then pinch the patties to create a pocket of cheese
that was dubbed the Juicy Lucy.
We'll start with quartering six slices of American cheese.
This should be the perfect size
to fit in the middle of each patty.
Next up, we'll mince some garlic.
Add the garlic to a mixing bowl, along with our ground beef,
a little bit of Worcestershire sauce,
and then season with some salt,
and a little freshly ground pepper.
Lightly mixed the ground beef with your fingertips,
trying not to overwork the beef and warm it up too much.
Next, lightly pack the meat into eight equal portions.
You'll want to make sure
they're all about the same in volume,
so we ensure that every patty is big enough
to stuff with cheese.
In order to keep the patties from sticking when flattened,
I like to use parchment paper cut into squares
just a little bit bigger than each hamburger patty.
I'll use a heavy bottom skillet
to help smash the balls of ground beef into patties.
You want them to be about 1/4 inch thick.
Otherwise, these burgers will be too thick
and take forever to cook.
Now it's time to start stuffing some of these patties.
Spread out the slices of cheese,
so it covers the center of the patty,
while leaving about an inch of uncovered meat
around the cheese.
Now top with another patty and work around the sides,
pinching the meat together to seal.
Try to work any air out of the center of the burger
and make sure the edges are sealed well.
You don't want the cheese oozing out while it cooks.
So, now I've allowed the patties to chill for a while
and it allows the fat to firm up.
While that was happening,
I've prepped my buns and got all my toppings ready.
And I've also got a toothpick
and I'll show you why in a second,
but first, let's get these patties searing.
I've preheated my cast iron pan to medium high
in order to get a nice sear on these patties.
I like to lightly press on the first side of the patty
immediately when it hits the pan.
This will help create a great crust without squeezing out
any of the juices.
Once they've cooked for a few minutes on the first side,
I'll check to make sure there's a nice crust.
That crispy caramelized crust is what I'm going for
on that initial sear.
I'll use a toothpick to release a little of the pressure
from the center of the patty
while it cooks for a few more minutes.
Then check the internal temperature with a thermometer.
You wanna make sure these burgers are cooked through
especially since you're stuffing them
and you want that cheese to be good and gooey.
While I let these rest for a few minutes,
I'll start building my burger.
First, a little iceberg lettuce 'cause it's so crispy.
Next, red onion because it has good flavor
and adds crunch to the burger.
Dill pickles are great because they add a nice sour note
which rounds out the flavor of the burger.
Finally, we'll go on with our hamburger patty
and the crown of the bun.
I like to let the patties rest for a few minutes
before digging in because the cheese would be molten
if it's right out of the pan or out of the grill.
Let's cut this in half and get a look at that oozey center.
That is perfect, still hot and gooey,
but won't burn your mouth like a pocket of cheesy lava.
Remember to like and subscribe,
and now to get the full Juicy Lucy experience,
I gotta take a bite of the whole burger.
(gentle music)
Oh man.
Such a surprise having that melted cheese
right in the middle.
It's delicious, mm.
(gentle upbeat music)