What’s A “Juicy Lucy” – And Why Don’t I Have One?
Don’t worry, it’s a question I had as well – until I discovered the story of this legendary burger from Minnesota!
“HOME OF THE ORIGINAL JUCY LUCY!”
That’s what Matt’s Bar & Grill, a Minneapolis landmark, proclaims proudly! Matt’s began in 1954 as a neighborhood burger eatery – and fate stepped in shortly after they opened!
Founder Matt Bristol says the “Jucy Lucy” was created when a local customer asked for two hamburger patties with a slice of cheese in the middle – and a legend was born!
Yes, they spell “Juicy” as “JUCY” – to go with “LUCY” no doubt, but either way I decided to make this stuffed burger two different ways…let’s go!
“JUCY LUCY” vs. “Juicy Lucy!”
I ordered an official “JUCY LUCY” kit, and here’s what I got in the package: a bun for the end result, some pickles, a nice pack of seasonings, and the “Jucy Lucy” burger patty…now it was time to cook it:
Yes, the cheddar cheese was already sealed inside the two patties, which were sealed tight to keep it inside as you cook it on the stove…
I turned it once after ten minutes and then added the seasoning salt and it cooks up with that delicious sound we’ve all come to love…
The shipment included a bun, some pickles and seasoning salt, and I added raw onion slices and Japanese “kewpie” mayo! After twenty minutes, here’s the finished result!
The burger was a bit raw, which I like, and the cheese was melty but not oozing too much…a bit more slow cooking would have done even better – but it was delicious regardless!
As some of you know, I have been making short videos showing the entire process and did so again here…enjoy the making of a JUCY LUCY – plus my taste test here:
So then I imagined: what if I stuffed something else in there – like bleu cheese? Here’s how I did it:
This time, I used a recipe from the legendary Chef Michael Chiarello, which adds wine-infused caramelized onions to the burger as well as the bleu cheese…take a look at how it turned out:
Yes, it was delicious! The caramelized onions, infused with wine, added a nice pop, especially when the strong bleu cheese flavor popped through!
We knew Chef Chiarello, and he used to hold events at his house, where he’d use a flamethrower to char a stuff pork loin – take a look:
I paid tribute to his life and career here – a great loss to the culinary world
I am a fan of unique burgers, whether I make them at home or try them at restaurants…here are a few examples of both: first, check out the “Squeeze With Cheese” here:
I love a great burger, especially when there is a unique method of preparation, like this one I found in Hackensack New Jersey:
This is the White Manna Burger – and the secret is this: on a flat-top grill they SLOOOOOOWLY cook the meat – covered with raw sliced onion!
When they flip them, the onions are caramelized underneath – take a look:
You can see more of this classic burger stand and their unique cooking method by click on my story here:
And here are more great cheeseburger recipes to make at home, like the “cheese-dipped” burger with the cheese on the outside – enjoy!
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Categories: Bite Eat Swallow, Bite! Eat! Repeat!, Burgers, Cheeseburgers, Chef memoirs, Cookbooks, Eat This!, Food, Food Porn, Recipes, Wacky Food, World's Wildest Food
Bite! Eat! Repeat! 
I think you should write a burger cookbook John!
Well, I do love making them! Thanks for the idea, who knows?
Or at least a guide to all the whacky burgers you find!
ooh, the manna burger!
wow! I like anything with melty cheese! I had no idea Chiarello had died. And so young. So sad. Great you got to experience him. Don’t you LOVE Somebody Feed Phil?!!!
Yes, melty cheese is the thing and I didn’t quite master it but it was fun…yes, Michael had an allergic reaction to something – very strange and unexpected and so sad, he was a great person and Chef….and we also LOVE Phil’s show – we planned much of our food crawl in Lisbon based on his show! Thanks for the comment!
This looks good, John. Very tasty.
It’s a fun wya to make a burger…I need to refine my technique a bit but oh well! Thanks for commenting!