Recipe

The Greatest American Patty Melt in the Country

The Greatest American Patty Melt in the Country

Ingredients

Makes 4 sandwiches

  • 1½ pounds ground chuck
  • 1 teaspoon garlic salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 8 slices marble rye
  • 12 slices white American cheese
  • Caramelized Onions (see below)
  • 1 stick butter, softened
  • Yellow mustard, for serving

Instructions

Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat.

Form the ground chuck into 4 balls with your hands. Season the top of each ball with half the garlic salt and pepper. Place the seasoned side of each ball directly on the griddle and using the back of large spatula and smash to just larger than your bread. Season the exposed sides with the remaining garlic salt and pepper. Griddle each side until the burgers are crusty and darkly seared but medium to medium rare in the interior (about 130°F), 5 to 6 minutes per side.

Thoroughly wipe the skillet clean and set it over medium-low heat.

On the 4 bottom slices of rye, place 1 slice of American, then the patty, the onions, and 2 mores slices of cheese. Top with the other slices. Butter the sandwiches on both sides (crust to crust is a must) and griddle over medium-low heat on both sides until the bread is slightly golden and the cheese is gooey (cover the pan with a metal bowl while cooking if necessary to ensure that the cheese melts). Slice and serve with your favorite yellow mustard.

Caramelized Onions

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 yellow onion, sliced thin
  • 2 tablespoons dry sherry wine
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium-low heat until foaming subsides. Add the onions and cook over undisturbed, until the bottoms of the onions begin to caramelize, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir only once and cook undisturbed for another 5 minutes. When the onions are the desired golden color, deglaze the pan with the sherry. Season to taste and set aside.

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