Months ago we saw America’s Test Kitchen do a segment on these burgers which had lots of gooey cheese inside them. I did make them for one of my meals in the SoFabU Sears Grilling Photography class.
For the class, we weren’t posting recipes. I think my brain would have imploded if I’d had to worry about recipes along with all the meals I was planning and photographing at the time. I’m very glad I took the class because my photos have majorly improved but it was a lot of work.
The Jucy Lucy burgers were really good. I haven’t made them since the class, but we’ll definitely keep them in rotation. The trick is making sure the cheese is entirely encased and sealed in the ground beef. I had a couple of burgers which I thought were sealed, but leaked a bit.
Biting into one and getting that gooey cheese is truly amazing. So much better than a cheeseburger. The meat also stayed moist and tender even after handling it so much. If you’re looking for a stand-out burger, this is it!!
Jucy Lucy Burgers from Cook’s Country 9/07
2 slices hearty white sandwich bread, torn into rough pieces
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 pounds 85% lean ground beef
1 slice deli American Cheese (1/2 inch thick), cut into quarters
Using a potato masher, mash bread, milk, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a large bowl until smooth. Add beef and gently knead to combine.
Divide meat evenly into 4 equal portions. Using half of each portion, encase cheese to form a mini burger patty. Mold remaining half portion of meat around patty to seal edges and form a ball. Flatten ball to form a 3/4-inch thick patty. Transfer to plate and refrigerate 30 minutes-24 hours.
Grill over medium heat till well browned and cooked through, 6-8 minutes per side. Transfer to plate and tent with foil, let rest 5 minutes.
This last photo is a cooled Jucy Lucy burger. But it definitely shows how much cheese is actually in these burgers!! Just imagine fresh from the grill…definitely juicy!!