Piedmontese Juicy Lucy Burgers (Cheese-Stuffed Burgers)
by Benjamin Maides, Chef, Au Courant Regional Kitchen, Omaha, Nebraska
Invented in south Minneapolis in the 1950s, the juicy Lucy is a cheeseburger with the cheese stuffed and sealed in between two beef patties. Let this recipe take your next cheeseburger to new heights!
- 2 pounds Certified Piedmontese 85% lean ground beef
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons fresh cracked black pepper
- 4 ounces Emmental cheese (or substitute Gruyere), roughly chopped
- 4 ounces Havarti cheese, roughly chopped
- 5 burger buns
- Thousand Island dressing (or your favorite burger sauce), for topping
- Lettuce, sliced tomatoes, and pickles, for topping
Season the ground beef with salt and pepper; mix and portion the beef into 3-ounce balls.
To the bowl of a food processor, add the cheese and pulse until smooth.
Preheat grill to medium-high (about 400°F).
Lay a large section of plastic wrap flat on the counter. Transfer the burger balls to the wrap. Cover with another piece of wrap and flatten ground beef balls to ¼-inch thickness. Remove the plastic wrap from the tops of the patties. Top half of the patties with 1 to 2 ounces of the cheese mixture. Carefully transfer the patties without the cheese to the top of the patties with the cheese. Crimp the edges of the burgers with your fingers and gently reform the patty. Transfer burgers to the grill and grill for 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Transfer the patties to the buns and top with dressing, lettuce, tomatoes, and pickles.