Juicy Lucy Recipes

CHEF JOHN'S JUICY LUCY

Steps:

• Divide beef into two 3-ounce balls. Lightly moisten fingertips with water and press beef into patties about 1/4-inch thick. Drop Worcestershire sauce over patties; rub in lightly. Sprinkle garlic powder, black pepper, salt, and cayenne on top and rub in.
• Cut a circle of cheese using a pastry cutter or the rim of a glass. Place cheese onto 1 patty; cover with the other patty. Press edges together carefully. Flip and continue pressing until fully sealed. Season both sides with a little salt.
• Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Cook patty for 5 minutes per side for medium doneness. Place patty on one half of a bun. Top with tomato, lettuce, and the other half of the bun.

BREAKFAST JUICY LUCY

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• In a large bowl, spread the pork out and sprinkle evenly all over with the brown sugar, fennel seeds, rosemary, sage, thyme, pepper flakes, nutmeg, 3/4 teaspoon salt and a few good turns of pepper. Mix with your hands to combine, being careful not to over mix. Divide into 4 parts and roll into balls. Create a large divot in the center of each ball and fill each with 1 slice of the cheese that's been folded into 4 quarters. Seal in the cheese by pressing the edges of the divot together and then press the ball into patties. Season on both sides with salt and pepper.
• Heat a lightly oiled nonstick pan over medium-high heat and cook until the patties have an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 4 to 5 minutes on each side. Remove to a plate and set aside.
• Add a drizzle of oil to the pan. Crack in the eggs, cover and cook to the desired doneness. (I like a firm yolk with these since the cheese will lend enough ooze!) Season with salt and pepper.
• Butter the English muffins and place on a parchment paper-lined sheet tray. Place in the oven and toast until lightly golden, about 3 to 5 minutes.
• Top each English muffin with a patty, an egg and sriracha or hot sauce, if desired. Enjoy!

JALAPENO PEPPER JUICY LUCY

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Put a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet.
• Combine the butter, chipotle and adobo in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook until the butter is melted and bubbly, about 4 minutes. Set aside.
• Combine the beef, bacon, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl and mix together until well combined. Divide the meat into 12 balls (3 ounces each). Press a jalapeno popper into the center of one ball of meat and bring the meat up and around to completely encase the popper. Pat the meat into the flattest patty you can make while still keeping the popper completely covered. Put on the rack on the baking sheet and repeat with the remaining meat and poppers.
• Bake until the burgers are caramelized around the edges, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile brush the cut sides of the burger buns with the chipotle butter and place cut-side up on a second baking sheet. Remove the burgers from the oven and top each with a cheese slice and 2 pickled jalapeno slices. Return to the oven along with the buns and bake until the buns are hot and the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.
• Serve the burgers on the buns topped with onion, tomato and lettuce.

JUICY LUCY

Steps:

• Lightly mix 6 ounces ground beef chuck with a big pinch of kosher salt. Form into two equal balls, and then shape into two flat patties. Lay two slices American cheese between them and form the meat around the cheese; make an indentation in the center of the patty. Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat; sprinkle the skillet with salt. Cook the burger 4 to 5 minutes per side. Serve on a soft bun.

MOLTEN CHEESE JUICY LUCY

Steps:

• Mix the beef with 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper in a large bowl. Form the beef into eight 1/4-inch-thick patties. Fold each cheese slice into quarters and place a folded slice on 4 of the patties. Top each with another patty, then form the meat around the cheese to fully enclose.
• Heat the vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the burgers and cook 4 to 5 minutes per side for medium rare.
• Serve the burgers on the buns and top with ketchup, mayonnaise and/or pickles. Let sit a few minutes before eating.

JUICY LUCY BURGERS

Steps:

• Combine ground beef, Worcestershire sauce, garlic salt, and pepper in a large bowl; mix well. Form 8, thin patties from the beef. Each patty should be slightly larger than a slice of cheese.
• Cut each slice of American cheese into 4 equal pieces; stack the pieces. Sandwich one stack of cheese between 2 ground beef patties. Tightly pinch edges together tightly seal the cheese within the meat. Repeat with the remaining cheese and patties.
• Preheat a cast-iron or other heavy bottomed skillet over medium heat. Cook burgers until well browned, about 4 minutes. It is common for burgers to puff up due to steam from the melting cheese. Turn burgers and prick the top of each to allow steam to escape; cook until browned on the outside and no longer pink on the inside; about 4 minutes. Serve on hamburger buns.

MY JUICY LUCY

Steps:

• Shape beef into 8 thin patties. Divide cheese among 4 patties; top with remaining patties and press edges firmly to seal. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. , Grill burgers, covered, over medium heat or broil 4 in. from heat until a thermometer reads 160° and juices run clear, 6-8 minutes on each side. Serve on buns with toppings of your choice.

JUICY LUCY PUDDING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 190C/gas 5/ fan 170C. Mix the fruits of the forest in a large bowl with the sugar and jam, then add the pears and toss to mix. Tip into a deep baking dish measuring about 18x28cm, cover with foil and roast in the oven for 20 minutes. Pierce a pear or two to see if they are really tender; if not, return dish to the oven for another 5 minutes or until they feel soft.
• Mix breadcrumbs with the butter and scatter over the fruit. Bake uncovered in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until golden and crispy. Serve hot.

JUICY LUCY BURGER

Steps:

• In a small bowl, stir together 2 teaspoons salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper. Divide the beef into four equal portions, then halve each of those portions. Gently roll each portion into a ball using the palm of your hand, then flatten each into a disk shape on a large cutting board, pressing with your fingers and palm until just over 4 inches wide and 1/4-inch thick. Repeat to form eight patties. Season both sides of each patty with the salt-and-pepper blend.
• Add one slice cheese to the center of one patty, folding any overhanging corners of the cheese inward. Using a spatula, lift another patty from the cutting board and place it on top of the cheese, pressing gently to connect both patties. Gently pinch the edges of the patties together to thoroughly seal, then use your fingers to round the edges by pressing and patting along the perimeter. Repeat with the remaining patties, forming three more burgers, and set aside.
• In a large (preferably 12-inch) cast-iron skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion; sprinkle with sugar, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, adding 2 tablespoons water about every 5 minutes to prevent burning, until tender and caramelized, about 20 minutes. Once the onions are caramelized, transfer them to a bowl. (If you have any bits left in the pan, wipe them out.)
• Add the oil to the skillet to lightly coat the bottom and heat over medium-high until scalding-hot, about 2 minutes. Add the burgers and cook until seared and dark brown on the outside, 3 to 5 minutes per side. (You'll want to let the burgers cook undisturbed as long as possible to develop a crisp sear and to prevent them from splitting. Their insides will cook through by the time the outsides form a proper sear. Resist the urge to cut them open, as the cheese will spurt out.) Transfer burgers to a clean cutting board to rest.
• Meanwhile, toast the buns: Scrape up and remove from the pan any cheese that may have leaked, leaving a thin layer of accumulated fat in the pan. Reduce the heat to medium. Working in batches, toast the buns cut-side down until warmed and toasted in spots, about 1 minute. Form sandwiches by layering pickles, patties, then caramelized onions on buns. Serve immediately.