Classic Patty Melt
The patty melt is a classic. And it’s surprisingly easy and quick to slap one together at home. Here’s how to make it.
“The traditional patty melt is a beautiful thing,” says author George Motz. We aren’t about to disagree. It’s essentially a melding of hamburger and grilled cheese sandwich with some sautéed onions tossed in for good measure. The classic patty melt calls for seeded rye bread, but a crusty white country bread works as well without interrupting the beefy-cheesy profile. As Motz says, “When prepared just right, the crunchy, buttery toast adds a velvety element to the hot mess of cheese, beef, and onion. It’s a tactile gustatory sensation that you cannot achieve with a burger bun.” Preach it.–Renee Schettler Rossi
Classic Patty Melt
Ingredients
- For the onions
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 medium Vidalia or Walla Walla onions
- 3 pinches salt
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 1 tablespoon salted butter (1/2 oz)
- For the patty melt
- Peanut oil or mild vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 pounds freshly ground beef (preferably 80%)
- Salt
- Butter
- 8 to 10 slices crusty bakery bread or, if you want to make a traditional patty melt, seeded rye
- American cheese
Directions
- Cook the onions
- 1. In a skillet over medium heat, warm the olive oil.
- 2. Slice the onions into fairly thin rings (we sliced ours about 1/8-inch thick) and add them to the skillet, stirring to coat with oil and continuing to stir and poke and pat and move around until onions become limp, 5 to 7 minutes.
- 3. Add salt and stir. Add the wine, increase the heat to high for 1 minute or so, stirring constantly, until the liquid evaporates. Reduce the heat to medium, add the butter, and stir until melted.
- 4. Cook, stirring frequently for another 10 to 15 minutes or until they are nicely golden brown and they look awesome. [Editor’s Note: Just to be clear, the onions aren’t going to be caramelized after this short amount of time. And that’s okay. Although if you really want caramelized onions, cook them for at least another 30 minutes or so.] Remove the pan from the heat.
- Make the patty melt
- 5. Preheat a cast iron skillet over medium heat and add a drop or two of oil to coat the surface. Preheat a second cast iron skillet over medium heat.
- 6. Form the ground beef into 4 or 5 balls of beef.
- 7. Once the first skillet with the oil is hot, drop the balls of beef into the pan, one or two at a time. Season with salt and gently smash them flat with the back of a spatula so each patty is just smaller than a slice of bread. Cook the patties, without touching, for 3 to 5 minutes.
- 8. Flip the burgers and cook them for 2 to 3 minutes more for medium-rare. (If a crustier surface is desired, crank the heat to medium-high when you cook the burgers.) Transfer the burgers to a wire rack placed over a plate.
- 9. Meanwhile, butter 1 side of each slice of bread. Place 1 slice of bread in the second skillet, butter side down. Add a slice of cheese on top of the bread, followed by a cooked patty, a forkful of onions, followed by another slice of cheese and a second slice of bread, butter side up. Cover and cook for 2 1/2 minutes, keeping an eye on the sandwich so the bread doesn’t burn. Then flip the whole thing and cook for 1 minute more, without a cover.
- 10. Using a spatula, remove the patty melt from the skillet and shimmy it onto a plate. Repeat with the remaining patties, buttered bread, cheese, and onions. Consume immediately. Originally published June 18, 2016.
from Leite's Culinaria https://ift.tt/2mPTQYI https://ift.tt/2ovfvpr
Comments
Post a Comment