“The Patty Melt”
Patty Melt Recipe
Serves 4
pdf download here
There are food historians much smarter than I who would say that the patty melt is not and never has been a burger. And that’s okay. They might be right. But when I open my restaurant, and put patty melts under “Burgers” in the menu, no one will complain.
INGREDIENTS:
8 slices of rye bread
8 tbs of butter, softened
2 onions, sliced
1 1/2 lbs. of ground beef
Sliced Swiss cheese
Russian Dressing (recipe to follow)
1/2 cup of mayonnaise
1/2 cup of chili sauce
1 tsp of smoked paprika
1 Tbs of horseradish
1 tsp of pimentos
1 tsp of Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp of minced chives
1/4 tsp of salt
STEPS:
Make the Russian dressing:
Combine the mayonnaise, chili sauce, paprika, horseradish, pimentos, Worcestershire sauce, chives, and salt in a blender.
Blend on high until fully combined.
Transfer to a lidded container and store in fridge for at least an hour, and up to a month.
Caramelize the Onions:
Heat a large skillet over medium heat.
Add a few tbs of olive oil the pan.
Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally for about 15-20 minutes until a deep amber brown.
Set aside.
Prep the Patties:
Divide the ground beef into 8 equal (3 oz.) portions.
Flatten each portion into a large, thin patty.
Place the patties are large cutting board or baking sheet.
Season both sides with salt and pepper.
Set aside.
Cook the Patties:
Preheat a large frying pan over high heat.
Cook the patties, one or two at a time 1 1/2 to 2 minutes.
Flip, add cheese to the first side, cook an additional 1 1/2 to 2 minutes.
Set the cooked patties aside and repeat with the remaining patties.
Assemble the Burgers:
Spread your desired amount of Russian dressing on the inward facing sides of each slice of bread.
Place two patties on each bottom slice of bread, fanning the patties out so they take up all of the real estate of the bread. That way you get a bit of burger with every bite.
Top the patties with the grilled onions, then the top the slice of bread.
Generously butter the outward facing sides slices of bread.
Grill the burgers in the frying pan on each side until the surface is a dark golden and the cheese has melted.
Slice in half.
Serve hot.