How to Make Juicy Lucy From Any Cheese
There are burgers, and there are projects on the theme of hamburgers, and Jusi Lucy – AKA Juicy Lucy or Juicy Lucy (as I write this) is quite a delightful project. Rather than melting cheese on a burger patty, this meat wonder holds a treasure trove of freedom cream cheese inside.
Welcome to Burger Week! Grilling season is in full swing and we are like hamburgers. Whether it’s picking the perfect patty, filling those patties with melted cheese, or making a vegetable proposition that doesn’t suck, we’ve got the tips, recipes and advice you need to create your best burger.
This burger is a dirty bitch who lives on drama and has almost no flaws. The only criticism I can think of for someone pumping Lucy is that it can only be filled with American cheese as other cheeses get smeared and separated when you try to turn them into a molten core. In fact, this criticism is not even substantiated, as I have found a way to turn any cheese, even those prone to smudging cheddar, into a sticky melted mass.
You may recall how I talked about the melting power of salts like sodium citrate when I turned a whole bunch of cheeses into a whole bunch of cheese sauces . If you need a refreshing drink (or introduction), they basically act as an emulsifier in sour cheeses, raising the pH and making the proteins more soluble. This, in turn, prevents them from turning into a messy, greasy mess.
By adding a little sodium citrate to the pile of chopped cheddar (along with some beer), I was able to make the gooey cheese sauce you see above. I then took this sauce, chilled it until smooth, and sandwiched it between two three-ounce servings of ground beef before chilling it all up again to keep it together while cooking. A little frying in the opposite direction gives us a medium-rare cutlet filled with melted cheese, which in turn should fill you – and your belly – with happiness. To do it yourself, you will need:
- 4 ounces grated hot cheddar (or whatever cheese you like)
- 1/4 cup beer (or wine or water)
- 1/8 to 1/2 teaspoon sodium citrate
- 6 ounces ground beef 80/20
- Salt
- Drizzle of vegetable oil
Pour beer and 1/8 teaspoon sodium citrate into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir in the grated cheese, adding more melting salt as needed to get the consistency you see in the photo above. Pour the cheese sauce into a mold and refrigerate for half an hour or overnight. (If you are using American cheese, you can skip this entire paragraph.)
Take six ounces of ground beef and divide it into two three ounce patties. Line them up so each is about half an inch thick, season each flatbread liberally with salt, and top with chilled cheese sauce (or a folded American slice, if you prefer) in the center of one flatbread. Place the second one on top and squeeze the edges tightly with your fingers around the entire perimeter. Place the burger in the freezer for 15 minutes and preheat the oven to 200 ℉.
Place the chilled burger on a wire rack over the baking sheet and cook for half an hour to achieve a medium heat. Unfortunately, you will not be able to check the internal temperature of the meat as this will cause cheese to ooze, but the meat should turn a deep dull red and the fat will start oozing out. During the last five minutes in the oven, pour some vegetable oil into a stainless steel or cast iron skillet and wipe it off with a paper towel to cover. Heat a skillet over high heat until it begins to smoke, then cook the patty for a minute and a half on each side until a crust forms.
Wait five minutes so as not to burn your mouth beyond recognition, then place it on a nice soft bun and cover it with your favorite hamburgers .