The Juiciest Juicy Lucy
- ⏱ 1 hour 25 minutes
- Medium
- Serves 4
- 👥 2-cook recipe
Juicy beef burgers filled with homemade American cheese, caramelized onions, pickles, and toasted potato rolls.
Adapted from Serious Eats.
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This recipe, inside the app
Two phones, one plan. Tap a step on either phone and watch it tick on the other — that's the live sync, right here in your browser:
The Juiciest Juicy ...
0/0
COOK 1COOK 2
1Make the cheese sauce
In a small saucepan, add the lager and sodium citrate...
Once simmering, whisk in the cheddar cheese, lower...
2Prepare the beef
3Plate and serve
+ 17 more steps in the app
The Juiciest Juicy ...
0/0
COOK 2COOK 1
1Make the cheese sauce
2Prepare the beef
Remove the beef from the refrigerator 20-30 minutes...
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the gelatin and 1...
Mix into the beef thoroughly but gently, taking care...
3Plate and serve
+ 17 more steps in the app
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup light lager beer
- 7 g sodium citrate
- 225 g extra-sharp cheddar cheese (shredded)
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 yellow onion (peeled, halved, and cut into thin slices)
- kosher salt, to taste
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 1/2 lb 80% lean ground beef
- 1 tsp unflavored powdered gelatin
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 recipe prepared American cheese
- dill pickle slices, to taste
- 4 potato rolls
- 1 recipe cooked onions
- 1 tsp oil
The full plan
Split between two cooks — each step says who's on it.
1. Make the cheese sauce COOK 2
- In a small saucepan, add the lager and sodium citrate and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, whisking occasionally to dissolve the sodium citrate
- Once simmering, whisk in the cheddar cheese, lower the heat to medium-low and cook, whisking frequently, until the cheese melts into a pale, uniform paste, 3 to 5 minutes
2. Prepare the beef COOK 1
- Remove the beef from the refrigerator 20-30 minutes before cooking to give it time to warm to room temperature
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the gelatin and 1 tablespoon water in a separate small bowl, mix well, and immediately pour it over the beef
- Mix into the beef thoroughly but gently, taking care not to overwork it
3. Mise en place COOK 1
- Prep 1 yellow onion: peel, halve, and cut into thin slices
4. Caramelize the onions COOK 1
- In a 12-inch cast-iron skillet, melt the butter over medium heat
- Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to caramelize, 10 to 15 minutes, If the onions are beginning to burn before softened, add a splash of water
- Season with salt and pepper to taste and transfer to a bowl
5. Prep the cheese pan COOK 1
- Adjust the oven rack to its middle position and preheat the oven to 200°F, Line a 9.5 x 9.5-inch baking pan with a piece of parchment paper, and place the lined pan into the oven to keep warm
6. Flatten the patties COOK 2
- Shape the beef into eight 3-ounce balls—two per burger
- Place each ball, one at a time, between two sheets of plastic wrap or parchment, and flatten it with the bottom of a heavy skillet, pressing evenly and firmly, until the patties are about 5 inches wide and about 1/4-inch thick
🤝 Cook 1 hands over the beef.
7. Set the cheese COOK 1
- Remove the prepared baking pan from the oven and pour the cheese sauce into the warmed pan, Working quickly, tilt the pan to distribute the cheese in a thin, even layer, using a small offset spatula to spread if necessary
- Refrigerate the pan until the cheese is firm, about 15 minutes
8. Cut cheese rounds COOK 1
- Cover the cheese and return it to the refrigerator
- Remove the cheese from the refrigerator and use a 3½-inch round biscuit cutter or drinking glass to punch out 4 cheese rounds
🤝 Cook 2 hands over the cheese sauce.
9. Fill the burgers COOK 2
- Place 1 flattened patty on a plate or cutting board, and place 1 beer cheese round in the middle of each patty
- Lay a second patty over the top and crimp the edges of the patties together, Carefully flip the burger and crimp the edges together on the other side, taking care to seal the entire perimeter, Gently press the sides of the patty in to form a burger about 4-inches wide and 1/2-inch thick
🤝 Cook 1 hands over cheese rounds.
10. Chill the burgers COOK 2
- Transfer the flattened patties to a large plate and refrigerate until firm to the touch, 15 minutes
11. Cook the burgers COOK 2
- In the now-empty cast-iron skillet, heat 1 teaspoon oil over medium-high heat until smoking
- Season the patties generously with salt and pepper on both sides, Carefully transfer the burgers to the skillet and cook until well browned on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side
🤝 Cook 1 hands over the onions.
12. Toast the buns COOK 2
- Transfer the burgers to a plate, lower the heat to medium-low, and toast the buns in the skillet, face-down, in two batches if necessary
13. Plate and serve BOTH
- Rest the patties for 5 minutes to cool the molten cheese inside slightly, Assemble the burgers: bottom bun, onions, patty, 3-4 pickle slices, top bun
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