Squeeze Burgers Dressed in Cheddar Cheese Skirts

A million years ago, a burger joint opened in the mid-town area of Sacramento. It was very popular with the locals and lawmakers alike. The lines to get in the narrow doorway were out the door, down the street and around the corner. It was a very tiny place. You actually had to “Squeeze in” to find a spot.

For reasons commonly known to locals, the popular hamburger joint was forced to relocate from its original humble abode. It’s a long and ugly story of greed and manipulation that is really not worth repeating.

As word spread of the plight of the eatery, the place became even more popular, and began to branch out. As with most restaurant franchise ventures, some things suffered as a result of growth. One of those things was the quality of the burger itself. If you were to strip away the awesome cheese skirt, these days it’s just another frozen burger cooked on a big griddle. Really nothing to write home about. The loyalty of customers is to the cheese skirt. It brings you in, but not necessarily brings you back again and again. However; using fresh ground chuck rather than frozen patties, a good quality bun with two different onions and you’ve got a burger worth a second bite.

Squeeze Burgers with Cheddar Cheese Skirts
1 lb Ground Chuck
Lawry’s Seasoning Salt to taste.
1 lb Mild Cheddar Cheese, shredded
3 Sourdough Buns, with Sesame Seeds
6 Long Sliced Dill Pickles
3 Slices Red Onion
3 Slices Yellow Onion
3 Slices Beef Steak Tomato
3 Lettuce Leaves

Divide the ground beef into 3 portions. Form into burger patties. Season with seasoning salt. Cook to desired doneness in a hot cast iron pan or griddle. Leave plenty of space between burgers so cheese skirt can form. If you need more space, remove the burgers, keep warm and create the cheese skirt one burger at a time. This works especially well with a cast iron skillet.

Place a handful (1/3) of the cheese over the burger.  Let the cheese melt a bit then place the top bun on each burger. Toss a few ice cubes around the cheese in the pan. The ice melts and creates just the right amount of steam to melt the cheese and keep the meat moist. Cover the pan with a lid and let the cheese melt and make a crispy cheese skirt all around the burger.

If using a griddle rather than a cast iron pan, use several pan lids, one for each burger. The lids will help shape the roundness of the cheese skirt.

While the cheese melts and covers the burger, slice onions and tomatoes. When ready, build the burger with pickles, onions, tomatoes and lettuce all stacked up on the bottom bun. Place the dressed up burger on top, then serve with the usual condiments such as ketchup, mustard and my favorite Mayonnaise.

No burger would be complete without plenty of fries. Enjoy!

Author: Rosemarie's Kitchen

I'm a wife, mother, grandmother and avid home cook.I believe in eating healthy whenever possible, while still managing to indulge in life's pleasures. View all posts by Rosemarie's Kitchen