Louis Lunch
And a Better Option — A Patty Melt
There is something very satisfying about a great hamburger! Thus, when we had the opportunity to try a burger, at Louis Lunch, we could not resist.
Established in 1895, Louis Lunch claims to be the home of the original hamburger, that all American diet staple. Located on Crown Street, in New Haven, Connecticut, the small restaurant, with a very limited menu, is one of those places that prides itself on making new customers feel out of place. They expect you to know how to order, using “Louis Lingo” and refuse to offer condiments, thus do not ask for ketchup, you will only feel foolish.
I would be fine without ketchup if the burger tasted seasoned; I find it rather bland and almost braised. However, there are many who disagree with me, the restaurant has been in business for over a hundred years. The historic building feels like old New England, and the small booths and the apparatus’ in which the burgers are cooked, are fun to experience. (Take a look at the Gallery on their website: http://www.louislunch.com/)
For a better burger, try fresh ground beef, which is not too lean, as there is flavor in that fat; sprinkle generously with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and finely minced onions. Mix all ingredients well, and make a mini burger, to test the seasonings. The best burger, in my opinion, is cooked on a grill, over charcoal briquettes. If the grill is not available, a good burger can be cooked on the stovetop, or placed on a rack, in the oven, but watch it does not dry out.
However, if you want to use sandwich bread for a burger, try a patty melt instead!
Patty Melt
Patty melts bring the grill cheese sandwich to new heights. When I worked, as a short order cook, this was one of my favorite things to make, for my own lunch. It is best cooked on a nice, hot grill, but a couple of skillets, will serve the same purpose.
Ingredients:
Hamburger Patty
1 small Onion – sliced in thin rings
2 slices of Rye Bread
1 teaspoon of Butter
2 slices of Swiss Cheese
1 thick slice of Tomato – lightly salted
1 Dill Pickle Spear – on the side
Directions:
In a small skillet, cook hamburger patty. Make your own patties and do not use those pre shaped things. Make sure you put salt, pepper, and garlic powder, in the ground beef, and mix and then shape patty’s to fit the bread – more elongated than round. (For regular burgers, add finely diced onion to the meat, before shaping. And consider stuffing the burger with cubes of cheese. Just hold the meat, as if you were making giant meat balls, bore a whole, stuff the cheese, then cover the whole, and flatten out the burger.)
As the meat cooks, add the onion slices, to the same skillet, and allow them to cook until tender and golden brown. In a larger, hot skillet, drop butter, and let it melt. Put the bread in the skillet and toast it, as if you were making a grill cheese sandwich. Add cheese to the bread, and then onions, When the cheese is melted, remove first slice of bread, to a plate, add burger, and slice of tomato, and then top, with other piece of bread. Cut sandwich in half, and serve warm with pickle spear.
Options:
You can add sautéed mushrooms and / or bacon. I think the sandwich is best on rye, but if you do not like rye bread, you can make it with sourdough bread, and the cheese of your choice.
