No, that�s not a typo. Depending on whom you talk to, this cheese-stuffed burger is either called a �Juicy Lucy,� or a �Jucy Lucy.� That�s because two restaurants in Minneapolis claim to have invented it, and they spell it differently. The 5-8 Club goes with �Juicy,� while Matt's Bar saves a character and spells it, �Jucy.� Unless you end up on some kind of cheeseburger related trivia show, this is probably useless information, but hey, you never know.
By the way, I�m not picking sides, but went with �Juicy,� simply to appease my spell-checker. No matter how you spell it, one thing is for sure; this isn�t just any old cheeseburger.
The cheese stuffing really does keep the meat juicier, and the mouthfeel is noticeably different that what you experience with a burger that has cheese melted over the top. However, for this to work you need to keep the cheese inside, which means making sure you thoroughly and thoughtfully press the edges of the two patties together.
Please note that the times I gave in the video may, or may not, be close to what you�ll need. There are so many variables such as fat content, meat temperature, pan temperature, cheese choice, and portion size, just to name a few. So, doing some testing before the big burger party is recommended. Best homework, ever! Above and beyond that, not much can go wrong, so I really do hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!
I was attempting to do a little twist on the venerable Croque Madame, by soaking the toast in a custard batter before frying, instead of topping it with the usual white sauce, but when I�d finished, I realized what I really had created was a Monte Cristo with a poached egg on top. These things will happen.
It was amazingly delicious, but I decided it wasn�t close enough to call a Croque Madame, which is when I turned to Twitter for help. This is never a good idea, but this time it totally worked out, as some dude who goes by the name, Zap Shakur (@zapshakur), suggested I go with �Madame Cristo,� and the rest is history.
If you�re just making one or two, feel free to poach your eggs right before the sandwiches are done, but for larger parties, you�ll want to check out this poached egg video, which shows a great make-ahead method for serving multiple poached eggs at the same time. This is exactly how it�s done in restaurants, where cooking to order would be virtually impossible.
If you are feeding a larger group, you can make your sandwiches ahead, and then just keep them in a warm oven, until you're ready to top with the poached eggs. But, whether you�re making this for two or twenty, I really do hope you give it a try soon. Enjoy!
Ingredients for 2 Madame Cristos:
4 slices white bread, lightly toasted
8 thin slices of Gruyere, Swiss, Cheddar, Havarti, or any other melting cheese
4 ounces thinly sliced honey baked ham or similar meat product
As I joked about in the intro, for something to be called a �Hot Brown,� and still become so wildly popular, is a true testament to just how amazingly delicious this really is.
Invented at the Brown Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky, to help late night partygoers keep going, this hot turkey gratin may be my all-time favorite, fork and knife sandwich.
And for something that seems so decadent, I don�t actually find it to be all that heavy of a meal. Of course, that could be the bourbon talking. I guess you could use milk instead of cream to lighten this up, but unless you�re going to start eating these several times a week, I think you should stick to the original formula.
I�m sure this would be okay with some thickly sliced turkey from the deli, but roasting your own is pretty easy, and you can use the leftovers for a few less extravagant sandwiches. Either way, I really do hope you give this Kentucky classic a try soon. Enjoy!
Ingredients for the sauce (enough for 4 small or 2 giant portions):
2 tablespoons salted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup Pecorino Romano cheese, plus more for grating on top
pinch of freshly ground nutmeg
salt, freshly ground black pepper, and cayenne to taste
For the turkey (enough for 4 portions): 1 teaspoon oil or butter to grease baking dish
2 pound boneless turkey breast
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon herbs de Provence, or other dried/fresh herbs of your choice
- Roast at 350 F. to an internal temp of 148 F.
For each Hot Brown:
2 pieces white bread, toasted
6 ounces roast turkey breast (3 thick slices)
3 slices of tomato
enough prepared cheese sauce to cover
grated Pecorino Romano for the top
paprika or cayenne for the top
2 slices bacon, precooked
chopped Italian parsley
- Finish under a low broiler, or in 475 F. oven until the sauce is bubbly and browned, and the bacon is cooked. To cheat, you can cook bacon crisp separately, and just top the finished dish, but I think it tastes better if you brown with the bacon on top.
If you�re from Greece, you�re probably pretty confused right now, and wondering why I�m calling this gyros. There, pork and chicken are used, in non-ground form, and as the meat turns slowly over a fire, the cooked, caramelized surface is shaved off into thin slices.
It�s amazing stuff, but believe it or not, I prefer this Americanized �mystery meat� approach, which uses ground lamb and/or beef. The spices are similar, but the texture is totally different, and for me, more interesting. I can eat fresh, identifiable meat anytime, so when I�m in the mood for gyros, I want the stuff you can only get from certain street vendors. Of course, since the meat is ground, you�re taking their word for which specific animals made the ultimate sacrifice, which is why this stuff became affectionately known as �mystery meat.�
This style is perfect for making ahead of time. Once it�s chilled, and sliced, all you need to do is brown it in a pan, and find some flatbread to roll it up in. Preferably, that would be homemade Lebanese mountain bread, which I will attempt to show you in the near future. In the meantime, your favorite pita will do, just as long as you don�t forget to make some tzatziki. I really hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!
Ingredients for 8 portions:
1 pound ground lamb
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup finely diced yellow onion
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon freshly minced rosemary
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 to 3 teaspoons kosher salt, or to taste (you can cook a small piece to test)
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons bread crumb
- Cook at 350 F. for 45 minutes, or until an internal temp of 160 F. -- Note: to make the pickled red onions, simply slice them about 1/8-inch thick, and cover with red wine vinegar for a few hours, or overnight. They will turn into the beautifully colored garnish seen herein.
