There are great meals, there are memorable meals, and then there is the CHEESEBURGER!
On September 18th, the cheeseburger will be honored in its rightful seat of fame. Frankly, I think it deserves a national holiday, a parade and possibly a statue.
This gives me the perfect excuse to talk about one of my favorite foods, and more importantly, the proper way to honor a cheeseburger.
rpernell
The History of the Cheeseburger
You would think the invention of the cheeseburger would be a no-brainer. Take a hamburger, put cheese on it and BOOM, culinary genius! But there are actually several theories about who invented the cheeseburger.
The story that seems to have the most credibility dates back to 1924, when a 16-year-old cook working at the Rite Spot Restaurant in Pasadena, California, supposedly put a slice of American cheese on a hamburger and called it the “Aristocrat Burger.”
Apparently, people loved it and thank God they did, because somebody had finally figured out that a hamburger was good, but a hamburger with melted cheese was a religious experience.
The rest, as they say, is history.
Joe Raedle, Getty Images
Fast-Food Cheeseburgers? FUHGEDDABOUDIT!
I never thought I would say this, but I am no longer a huge fan of fast-food restaurants.
There I said it!
I don’t care for some of the fillers and ingredients that can find their way into fast-food burgers, and frankly, I don’t think many of them do justice to what a great cheeseburger should be.
Why settle for a fast-food burger when New Jersey is loaded with local restaurants that know how to make one?
Barnacle Bill’s in Rumson, NJ – @barnaclebills_rumson
Support your local restaurants!
There are plenty of places where you can sit down, order a great cheeseburger and actually taste the beef, the cheese and all the ingredients that make a burger great. I have a few New Jersey favorites that I frequent when the cheeseburger craving hits.
In no particular order:
The Summit Diner – Summit, NJ
The Ark Point – Pleasant, NJ
White Manna – Hackensack, NJ
Barnacle Bill’s – Rumson, NJ
Klee’s – Seaside -Heights, NJ
Krug’s Tavern – Newark, NJ
These are the kinds of places that remind you that you don’t need a fancy restaurant, a celebrity chef or a 14-page menu to make a great burger. Sometimes you just need good beef, good cheese and somebody who knows what the hell they’re doing.
White Manna Hamburgers via Google Street View
The Big Joe Cheeseburger Commandments
Now we get to the important stuff.
There is a proper way to make a cheeseburger at home, and I have developed my own set of rules.
First: The beef should be 80% lean and 20% fat. You need the fat. Don’t be afraid of it. Fat is what makes the burger juicy and flavorful.
Second: Make a generous 10-ounce patty by hand, with a slight indentation in the middle so it cooks properly.
Third: Season that baby generously with salt and pepper before it hits the grill or cast-iron pan.
Fourth: Cook it to a perfect medium rare.
Fifth: The cheese matters! I like WisPride cheddar, slightly heated so it gets nice and melty.
Then come the toppings: sautéed mushrooms and onions, ketchup, a little Hellmann’s mayonnaise, fresh lettuce and a slice of tomato.
Put all of that on a great fresh Kaiser roll that has been grilled to perfection.
And finally…NAPKINS.
Lots and lots of napkins.
Because if you can eat a great cheeseburger and finish with the same number of napkins you started with, you didn’t make a great cheeseburger and I like to serve mine with a big Grillo’s pickle.
michaeldugger
The Great American Cheeseburger
The cheeseburger isn’t just food. It’s part of American folklore.
It’s backyard barbecues, diners, road trips, late nights, family gatherings and sitting at the counter of your favorite local restaurant.
It doesn’t need a special day to be celebrated, but I’ll gladly use September 18th as an excuse.
So, fire up the grill, heat up the cast iron, get the beef, melt the cheese and make yourself a cheeseburger worthy of the occasion.
Because as far as I’m concerned, the cheeseburger isn’t just one of America’s greatest foods. It’s one of America’s greatest inventions.
And if you disagree…
I’ll meet you at the grill. Just bring the napkins.
LOOK: Highest-rated restaurants for burgers in Philadelphia, according to Yelp
Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated restaurants for burgers in Philadelphia using data from Yelp.
Gallery Credit: Stacker
The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 weekend host Big Joe Henry. Any opinions expressed are Big Joe’s own.
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The best cheeseburgers in New Jersey
Everybody has their own favorite burger place. Odds are, one of these places are right by you. In honor of National Cheeseburger day last Friday, September 17, here are some of the best cheeseburger joints in New Jersey according to Trev’s social media following.
Gallery Credit: Steve Trevelise
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