The Juicy Lucy (or Jucy Lucy) is an icon of American cuisine, originating from Minneapolis, Minnesota.
It is a burger with a surprise inside: the melted cheese is encased between two thin disks of ground beef.
The sandwich was born in Minneapolis in the 1950s, with two establishments claiming its invention: Matt’s Bar and the 5-8 Club.
Both claim to have invented the cheese-stuffed burger, but the most credited version attributes the invention to a customer at Matt’s Bar in 1954, after a customer requested that the cheese be placed in the center of the meat instead of on top, exclaiming the phrase that named the sandwich: “Oooh, that’s one juicy lucy!” after tasting it.
The rivalry between the two establishments has become a media case, with the sandwich’s name differing in spelling (Jucy Lucy vs. Juicy Lucy) and Time in 2014 called it an “influential” burger, highlighting its impact on cuisine and spurring other chefs to experiment with stuffed burgers.
The peculiarity of the name “Jucy” (without the “i”) indeed comes from an alleged spelling mistake in Matt’s Bar’s original menu, which has been maintained over time.
The spelling difference between “Jucy” (used by Matt’s Bar) and “Juicy” (used by the 5-8 Club) is part of the dispute over its origin
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Inexpensive
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Cooking methods: Barbecue, Stove, Grill
- Cuisine: American
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs ground beef (preferably 80% lean, 20% fat)
- to taste paprika (optional)
- to taste Worcestershire sauce (optional)
- 4 slices cheddar
- to taste salt
- 4 hamburger buns
- to taste ketchup (or mayonnaise or other sauce of choice)
- to taste lettuce
- to taste onion
Steps
Prepare the patty: if you like, you can enhance the meat with paprika and Worcestershire sauce. Divide the ground beef into 8 equal portions and form thin disks.
Add the cheese: Cut each slice of cheese into 4 squares and stack them in the center of 4 meat disks.
Seal: Cover each cheese-topped disk with another meat disk, pressing the edges well to seal and form 4 stuffed burgers.Ensure that the edges are well sealed to prevent the cheese from leaking during cooking.
Cooking: Cook the burgers on a grill or skillet over medium heat for about 4-5 minutes per side, until they are well browned and the cheese inside is melted.Let the burgers rest for a couple of minutes after cooking to allow the cheese to stabilize.
Serve: Place the burgers in the buns and add the desired toppings: sauce, lettuce, onion, or other.
Man vs. Food
The rivalry has been featured in TV shows like “Man vs. Food” and has attracted attention from personalities like President Obama
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
What type of bread is used for the Juicy Lucy?
For the Jucy Lucy, a soft hamburger bun, commonly called a burger bun, is usually used.
Here are the ideal characteristics:
Soft yet sturdy, to hold up the gooey filling of melted cheese.
Slightly sweet, often milk or butter-based (like an American brioche bun).
Not too thick, to not overshadow the taste of the meat and cheese.
Slightly toasted before filling, to prevent it from becoming soggy.
You can use:
Brioche bun (widely used in the USA)
Classic egg bun
Milk or butter bun
Avoid rustic or too hard buns like ciabatta or rosettes: they would ruin the “soft and gooey” Jucy Lucy experience.
