BLOATED HOG
A stuffed cheeseburger is nothing new; just ask anyone from Minneapolis who’s been to Matt’s Bar & Grill where this inverted invention, dubbed the Jucy Lucy, can be found and enjoyed. The brainchild of its founder and bar’s namesake, the late Matt Bristol, the ingenuity behind this Twin Cities icon marks great significance in food culture with perhaps one of the world’s most beloved sandwiches and why we personally amend on the greatness of eats we adore with our own culinary creativity. To put it simply, a house is not a home till you make it your own. I live in the South now, where life’s troubles are easily mitigated by rich food and cheap alcohol; pimento cheese being an unwavering source of comfort. So, when I got the hankering for a Jucy Lucy, why wouldn’t I appeal to my Southern roots? Being a Southern boy myself (OK, South Philly…it’s Southern enough…let’s not get into geographical semantics for the moment), I stuffed my burger with some caviar of the south to make what I call a Bloated Hog; using My Simple Pimento Cheese.
Made with ground pork (because of course it is) and topped with vegan tempura fried pickles (I guess LA food fusion did have some influence on me afterall…huh) this burger is sure to please the stuffing out of you.
PREP/COOK TIME: 1 Hour 30 Minutes
Makes 4 Burgers
INGREDIENTS
1 ½ Lb – Ground Pork
1 ½ Tsp – Kosher Salt
½ Tsp – Coarse Black Pepper
4 Tb – Simple Pimento Cheese
4 Tb – Unsalted Butter
4 – Potato Rolls
8 – 10 Slices – Bread and Butter Pickles
¼ Cup and 2 Tb – All Purpose Flour
½ Tsp – Baking Soda
½ Tsp – Distilled White Vinegar
½ Cup plus One Small Bowl – Cold Water
½ Cup – Vegetable Oil for Frying
4 Tsp – Mayonnaise
THE NITTY GRITTY
In a medium mixing bowl, add ground pork, 1 Tsp Kosher Salt and pepper; mix by hand till fully combined.
Have ready a tray lined with parchment paper and bowl of cold water.
Wet hands and grab about 1/4 cup of ground pork for bottom patty. Using the palm of your hand, flatten and shape till patty is about 3 inches in diameter. Place patty on tray with parchment and add 1 Tb pimento cheese. Wetting your hands again, grab another even amount of ground pork, flatten and shape the same as bottom patty; press gently atop bottom patty with cheese, sealing edges till burger is now 4 inches in diameter. Be sure no cheese is visible.
Once done, chill stuffed burger patties on tray – covered loosely with cling film – for one hour in the fridge.
Drain pickles in a wired sieve if necessary; place in one layer on dry paper towels to absorb excess liquid; pat dry with additional paper towels. Toss pickles in 2 Tb of All Purpose, dust off any floury excess; place on small tray or plate till ready to fry.
Heat 2 Tb butter in a large pan at medium high till melted. Add rolls, both tops and bottoms with interiors facing down, to hot pan; toast till interiors are lightly golden. Remove rolls on tray – interiors facing up.
Add remaining 2 Tb butter to pan. Once butter is melted, arrange burger patties one inch part from each other in pan. Cover and reduce heat to medium; cooking each side for 4 minutes. Once cooked, remove pan from heat, cover intact and let burgers rest for 1 minute.
In the meantime, add remaining ¼ Cup of flour, salt, baking soda, vinegar and water to a small mixing bowl; whisk till a smooth, loose batter is formed.
Heat oil in a small – medium pan at medium high; bring to a shimmer.
Dip pickles in batter and fry each side till crisp and golden. Transfer fried pickles to paper towels to drain oily excess.
Assemble the sandwich by adding 1 Tsp of mayo to each top-half of toasted potato rolls; placing burgers on each bottom-half. Add 2 – 3 pickles on each burger. Wait about 2 minutes before eating for filling to cool; or simply cut it in half if you’re impatient like me.
Serve with fries or a mustardy slaw and enjoy!!
FEBRUARY 3, 2021
