Friday, August 24, 2018

Juicy Lucy – So Jucy

No, that’s not a typo. Depending on whom you talk to, this cheese-stuffed burger is either called a “Juicy Lucy,” or a “Jucy Lucy.” That’s because two restaurants in Minneapolis claim to have invented it, and they spell it differently. The 5-8 Club goes with “Juicy,” while Matt's Bar saves a character and spells it, “Jucy.” Unless you end up on some kind of cheeseburger related trivia show, this is probably useless information, but hey, you never know. 

By the way, I’m not picking sides, but went with “Juicy,” simply to appease my spell-checker. No matter how you spell it, one thing is for sure; this isn’t just any old cheeseburger.

The cheese stuffing really does keep the meat juicier, and the mouthfeel is noticeably different that what you experience with a burger that has cheese melted over the top. However, for this to work you need to keep the cheese inside, which means making sure you thoroughly and thoughtfully press the edges of the two patties together.

Please note that the times I gave in the video may, or may not, be close to what you’ll need. There are so many variables such as fat content, meat temperature, pan temperature, cheese choice, and portion size, just to name a few. So, doing some testing before the big burger party is recommended. Best homework, ever! Above and beyond that, not much can go wrong, so I really do hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

24 comments:

Alex in Shanghai said...

Amazing, thank you Chef! These are really great with bleu cheese

ap said...

John, you didn't link to the video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGdUh-2WE2M

Unknown said...

Sounds like fun to make! What is your secret sauce?

Jeremiah said...

Love the Juicy (Jucy) Lucy video. As a Minnesotan I do have one correction. A burger with lettuce and tomato is a "California" burger and has been at least since my childhood in the 1950s, prior to the discovery of the avocado.

Daniel said...

No ingredient amounts?

Unknown said...

Good stuff! What kind of beef do you prefer? 80/20?

rashep142 said...

That looks tasty. I can't wait to see the video!

Tanner769 said...

Where's the Beef!? .... I mean video!!?? :)

Unknown said...

Another Minnesotan here - the California Burger is lettuce, tomato and MAYO! The only real Juicy Lucy I knew of was the 5-8 Club: questionable part of town, bar frequented by cops - the very best burger to burn your mouth on!!!

Unknown said...

For the Matt's fans, Chef missed one key step/flavor that I think is key to the "Jucy Lucy", but I will happily share it with you. Dehydrated minced onion. It is the signature flavor that makes it for me and kept me going back to Matt's for literally 40 years. Coincidentally it is also the memorable flavor of a certain small steam grilled hamburger chain. Rehydrate some of those onions in some hot water a few hours prior to putting your burgers together, and fry a pile alongside your burgers. If you have a deep fryer, drizzle some of the seasoned oil onto the onions as they fry and you will get that secret Matt's experience at home. You will need to add some oil to those onions though even if you don't have fryer oil or they will dry out and burn. Once they start to brown, add a pile to the bun,and don't forget a few pickle slices. Of course it is nice to have a fryer so you can make a basket of shoestring fries just like you get at Matt's!

Unknown said...

Where is the ingredient list?

B&J Long said...

Ahem.... you *pan fried* it, instead of grilling of it over open flames? That's not the Chef John I know...

Tihai ck said...

chef John
I don't see the video link

Tihai ck said...

looks great

Dahveed said...

I guess you could have called it a Juicy Luicy, but that would have likely angered everyone, including your spell checker.

Unknown said...

There is no video

Hawkdoc said...

Minor detail, perhaps, but I can only find the video on your youtube channel. The video doesn't show up on the foodwishes site.

CHARLES RICE said...

Love the video. In a restaurant I opened last year I did something similar I think you would absolutely love and should try. A juicy Lucy but stuffed with goat cheese with nothing but red wine onion marmalade on top. The good fatty burger being cut by that sharp goat and off balanced with the sweet savory marmalade. I really think it would be right up your alley.

CHARLES RICE said...

Love the video. In a restaurant I opened last year I did something similar I think you would absolutely love and should try. A juicy Lucy but stuffed with goat cheese with nothing but red wine onion marmalade on top. The good fatty burger being cut by that sharp goat and off balanced with the sweet savory marmalade. I really think it would be right up your alley.

Victor said...

The Secret Sauce :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUU1AbXTISI

Unknown said...

Help! I could not find your recipe here or on allrecipes.com. would you give us a link, please?

Angela said...

Thanks for all you do Chef John! Another great idea!

The Willy Mayes of Bolognese said...

We used super high quality grass fed and the results were marvelous

NorthBourne Foods said...

Hi thanks for sharing a such mouthwatering recipe love the juicy burger's. I definitely try this at home. Can anyone suggest me where can i find the best hamburger beef patties in Houston, Texas.

Thanks
Bryan