Beef on Beef Burger

This recipe is for meat lovers. I got the idea from the Roy Rogers Double-R-Bar burger which included roast beef. Roy Roger's restaurants are few and far between these days but the spirit lives on.

Ingredients

2/3 pound ground beef, 85%/15%
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Deli provolone cheese
Deli roast beef
Beef bouillon
1/2 cup water
2 slices raw white onion
4 slices of Italian style white toast (for two burgers)
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Coleslaw (recipe follows)
Worcestershire sauce
Kosher salt and pepper to season

The ground beef I buy comes in 1-1/3 pound packages. The 85/15 (85% lean) is half the price of the 93/7 (93% lean) and has twice the flavor. The preference here is 80/20 if you can find it.

Cut the meat in the package in half. Cut the halves in half. We're making two 1/3 pound burgers. Save the rest of the meat for a meat sauce, or more burgers.

Season your two halves by sprinkling Worcestershire on each. Form into patties.

Season the top of each patty with salt and pepper.

Make beef juice by combining the beef bouillon cube and half a cup of water in a small pot. Bring to a simmer.

Make the condiment by combining the ketchup, horseradish and Dijon mustard.

Put the oil in a frying pan. Get the pan hot to the point where you see the oil shimmering. Swirl the oil around the pan.

Place the patties in the pan, seasoned side down. Now season the top with salt and pepper. Flip when you see blood start to ooze out the sides. Personally, I am looking for a rare burger. For a medium burger, flip when you see blood ooze out of the top.

Continue cooking for the same amount of time you cooked the other side.

You can use a meat thermometer. 130 degrees would be rare, 140 would be medium rare. 150 would be medium. 160 and your on your way to well done.

There is the poke method to test doneness but it's a little hard to explain without a video like this one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8YQX-QgbXc

Finally, doneness can be tested by making a little incision on the edge of the patty and looking at the color of the meat. Nice and pink to red, that is rare. Just pink is medium rare to medium.

Assemble the burger:

Spread the horseradish condiment on both sides of the toast.

Place coleslaw on the bottom.

On goes the burger.

Place two slices of provolone cheese on the burger.

Heat the roast beef in the beef juice. Still dripping with hot, salty goodness, place the roast beef on top of the cheese.

Place a slice of raw onion on the beef.

Top the burger with the other piece of toast, slice in half and enjoy!

Green Cabbage Coleslaw

Cut a green cabbage into quarters.

Thinly slice one of the quarters into slaw. Place the slaw in a resealable container.

Add a small grated carrot.

Season with celery seed, salt and pepper.

Sprinkle with white vinegar.

Add a couple of tablespoons light mayonnaise and mix well.

Let's Discuss!

Why the raw onion? I got the idea from the Peter Luger Steakhouse house "salad." It is a thick slice of beefsteak tomato, topped with a thick slice of white onion with the Peter Luger sauce poured on top. Besides, onion and beef go together like... fill in with the analogy of your choice.

The provolone cheese should be sharp. Usually this means an aged cheese.

Red cabbage can be used to make the slaw or some combination of red and green.

The slaw should be made the day before to soften the cabbage and for the flavors to meld.

Why the Italian white toast? Inspiration came from Louis' Lunch in New Haven Connecticut. They are considered the oldest hamburger maker in the country and they have always served their burgers on white bread. It just works.

Why not toasted and buttered buns? There is not much taste in a potato roll for instance and this is already a rich sandwich - the butter would be overkill.

Slaw is not crucial. I have also made this with crispy lettuce.  I just like the flavor the mayo and vinegar brings.

The onion might be better placed on the burger and cheese. As it stands, the onion was sliding off the sandwich - a little.

The burger itself would be better if smashed down after it hits the hot pan. As you can see, it doesn't fit the bread. Alternatively, you could cut the crust off the bread.