Stuff I made: Stuffed burgers

OK, I have to admit, I'm totally jacked. It's Friday night on Father's Day weekend, and I told the family it's time for some goodies.

Tonight, it's going to be stuffed burgers on the grill. It's an idea I saw on TV once - up in Minnesota, apparently the Juicy Lucy is a big deal. It's a burger stuffed with cheese on the inside.  Really cool idea.

My dad and stepmom sent me a gourmet burger kit from Williams Sonoma, with some fancy ketchup and mustard, and a special press to make these stuffed burgers. So, hey, why not? (By the way, thanks Pops and Peggy!)

Here's the recipe:

• 1.5 lb ground chuck
• 1/2 tsp. anchovy paste
• 1/2 tsp. tomato paste
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 egg
• 1 c. shredded pepper jack cheese

In a bowl, mix the chuck, anchovy paste, tomato paste, soy, salt, pepper and egg. The anchovy paste, tomato paste and soy are full of glutamates, which really boost the meaty flavor of beef. Just mix this until things are incorporated, you don't have to beat it into submission!

Once mixed up, I press the meat into the base of the press and use the mold to imprint a depression into the bottom part of the patty. In goes a healthy scoop of cheese and then I then pile on the meat for the top and hit the top of the press. That kind of mushes everything down and seals the cheese inside.

I let them sit in the fridge for half an hour so they would firm up, and then onto a medium grill for 7 minutes a side. I don't like to flip them a bunch of times, so they only got one flip.  I also covered the grill so it would create more of an oven experience. I pulled them at about medium, and they were very juicy.

Sure, there was a little bit of ooozage, but the cheese stayed mostly inside. I put them on some French hamburger buns bought at my local Publix supermarket, and then topped them with some spicy ketchup, mustard, a slice of fresh tomato, sauteed red onion and sauteed mushrooms with sherry. A handful of oven fries and some grill roasted corn on the cob made for one great dinner everyone loved.

Happy eating!