Winter has finally hit the East Coast! What better time of year is there to fill up on Burgers?

(That’s a trick question. It’s always a good time to fill up on Burgers.)

Today’s recipe comes from Chef Andrew Murtha over at JuiCy Burger Bar in Hamburg, NY. No stranger to snow as a Buffalo native, Chef Murtha cooks up an arsenal of Burgers that are at once classic and wildly creative. From the Hogzilla (doused in hard cider BBQ sauce) to the Weck Yo Self (served on a kimmelweck bun with horseradish aioli), you’re guaranteed to find something you like on the JBB menu.

So without further ado, here’s how to make that classic JuiCy Burger!

JuiCy Burger

Ingredients

• 2 6oz. beef patty (quality primal cuts ground fine)
• 2 oz. slice quality aged cheddar
• 1 Burger bun of your choice
• Russian dressing
• Thinly sliced red onion
• Quality lettuce (Bibb, Romaine, etc.)
• Kosher Salt
• Black Pepper
• Unsalted Butter

Directions

1. Crack a beer. A good one.
2. Heat a cast iron skillet, on medium high.
3. Using two heavy plates, press the burgers out thinly.
4. Place the cheese over one patty and top with the other.
5. Pinch the edges together.
6. Season the beef with kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper.
7. Sear the beef in canola oil on either side to create a crust.
8. Top the patty with a stainless steel bowl that fits in the pan to finish the cooking process.
9. Rest the beef on a sheet pan fitted with a cooling rack.
10. Wipe out the cast iron pan and throw in a couple generous knobs of butter.
11. Toast the bun to golden brown.
12. Apply the Russian dressing to the bottom of the bun, as well as the onion and lettuce.
13. Enjoy!

About Chef Murtha

Andrew Murtha grew up in the Buffalo countryside and began his career in the kitchen as a dishwasher in his hometown. An eagerness to learn and hard work on the line landed him a spot cooking under Steven Wambach at Barclay Prime in Philadelphia. When he returned to Buffalo, he came back anew, an ingredient-driven chef with not only a vision of what we should eat, but how we should eat it.

“The ‘Industrial Food Revolution’ has us disconnected from what we eat, from what we put into our own bodies”. The idea behind his cooking is simple: return to our roots and eat by the seasons, pick it ourselves, stock up, and get ready for a long Buffalo winter.