- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 30 mins
- Yield: 2 servings
Many restaurants claim to be the birthplace of the hamburger. Louis' Lunch, in New Haven, Connecticut, is a leading contender. Since 1900, the Lassen family has been grinding its beef daily, hand-shaping the patties to order and grilling the burgers in antique cast-iron broilers over an open flame. The ground beef formula uses five different parts of the chuck; a combination of chuck and sirloin makes a similarly meaty, juicy burger. The Louis' Lunch classic is topped with just onion and tomato, though the Lassens do offer a Cheddar cheese sauce. The version of that sauce here is spiked with beer.
Ingredient:
- 1/2 pound Colby cheese or mild yellow Cheddar, shredded (about 2 cups)
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 garlic clove, halved
- 1 cup lager
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 3/4 pound ground sirloin, at room temperature
- 3/4 pound ground chuck, at room temperature
- 4 hamburger buns
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- Vegetable oil, for brushing
- 4 Boston lettuce leaves
- 4 thin tomato slices
