Patty Melts & Caramelizing Onions

 

I have been craving a juicy burger for weeks but I have been leaving it to burger's cousin, the Patty Melt. The Patty Melt is awesome. It is sweet, juicy, and in my recipe a bit tangy. From the caramelized onions to a perfectly cooked burger off the grill, I really can't argue for anything more perfect for the carnivore burger lovers during these last couple weeks of cold weather, especially if you have access to a grill and can take the cold with a hot toddy or other warm beverages nearby.Ingredients 

• 2 slices of sourdough bread
• 1/3 lb ground beef
• 1-2 onions
• salt
• pepper
• 2 slices of mozzarella cheese
• BBQ sauce (something tangy)
• sugar
• butter
• pinch of baking soda (optional)

Method: Caramelizing Onions1. On a cutting board, cut the root side of the onion off and then cut the onion in half. Remove and peel one to two layers of the onion off. Thinly slice the onion from root to stem. You should have beautiful strands of onions to unfold.2. On a medium-high skillet or cast iron, place two tablespoons of unsalted butter and a little olive oil until the bottom of the skillet is shimmering.3. Place the onions on the pan and add one teaspoons of sugar and mix the onions slowly so that each one is covered by the oil, butter, and sugar. The sugar will help cook the onions faster. Optionally, you can add a pinch of baking soda to speed up the caramelization process.The process of caramelization is known as undergoing maillard reaction. Simply, it is to explain the browning process in cooking.4.  Cook the onions on medium high heat. Move the onions around so that each side is browned. This should take anywhere from 15-20 minutes with the sugar or baking soda added to the onions.The onions will cook to translucent then to blonde, and then finally start browning. Adding sugar changes the ph level of onions and helps speed up the cooking process.5. Once cooked, add a tiny bit of salt for taste and set aside.Burger TipsI know everyone knows how to cook a burger but here are some tips. Shape the paddies evenly as possible and add a divot in the center on both sides. Season with salt and pepper only. These were the two tricks that I relied on and used more 80/20 or 90/10 ground beef to make juicy burgers.Heat the burger on a hot skillet or medium high heat grill. Flip once after 3 to 4 minutes on the grill. After the flip, add slices of mozzarella cheese. I understand that differs from the traditional swiss but I love adding. On a separate side of the grill, grill your slices of sourdough bread for about 30 seconds to 1 minute on each side until nicely toasted. As that is happening, grill the other side of the burger for another 3-4 minutes and remove. I love a medium to medium rare burger around 140F internally. I will leave your burger consistency up to you.Assembly

• Bottom slice of toasted sourdough bread
• Mozzarella cheeseburger
• Caramelized onions
• Tangy BBQ sauce (your choice) I am using a Memphis variety from the store
• Top layer of  toasted sourdough bread
• Slice in half and serve