Yes, a cheeseburger hits the spot. But what about its cousin, the Patty Melt? (And Now Joined By His Cousin, The Tuna Melt!

New development on the melt front! Last week, to go along with Friday Night Martinis, we had Tuna Melts. We did this because we had eaten meat a couple of times, and we were looking for something different. I was thinking Clam Chowder, but I ran out of time to make it and went with Tuna Melts. Here's what they looked like:

Since this post is about the Patty Melt, new information has been added on how the tuna version came together. So scroll down past the Patty Melt for the info.

#

We have discussed cheeseburgers. We've written a love letter to In-n-Out. But what about the cheeseburger's cousin, the often overlooked, patty melt?  These are delicious too. Have you ever made a patty melt at home? I haven't. Until now.

But first some surf stuff. Saturday was predicted to be pretty mellow in Santa Monica. So I headed out early. Sure enough it was nice conditions -- for tiny-wave aficionados like me. It was mid-tide, and maybe occasionally there was a bit of a bigger set (and by bigger I mean maybe 3 feet?) but mostly the waves were small and on the gentle side. So I had fun. Then came something that would have earned me a featured spot in the Instagram, @Kook_of_the_day, which any surfer should check out because it's pretty freaking hilarious. What happened was this: I'm on the hunt for a new wetsuit because the old one is coming apart at the seams. ZJ Boarding House in Santa Monica (www.zjboardinghouse.com) had wet suits on sale, so I figured I'd swing by after my session. ZJ has parking behind the building, which is nice because it's free. There was one tight little space left so I started to pull into it…and I totally shredded the side of my car on this big nasty concrete pillar! F'd up my right side mirror too. Kook! I should have taken a picture with the surfboard on the car and the damage and sent it to Kook of the Day. I bet I would have won. Luckily, nobody saw me so I wasn't too embarrassed. Anyway, the suits at ZJ, even on sale, were on the pricey side so I'm still looking.

Now back to that patty melt. I'm talking this guy here:

I've mentioned that if we're home on Friday nights, it's usually cheeseburgers and Martinis. But every once in a while you gotta mix things up, right? Recently Sam pointed out a recipe for a patty melt in Bon Appetit, and while I'm more partial to the tuna melt, I decided to give it a go. As usual, get the best quality meat that you can. I actually used the same burger blend from McCalls Meat and Fish in Los Feliz (www.mccallsmeatandfish.com) that I'd use for burgers. But the second most important part, I think, is caramelizing the onions properly. This takes a bit of time, and there's no way around that, but the results are worth it. So be patient.

Here's the recipe, courtesy of the Oct. 2014 issue of Bon Appetit Magazine. For 4 Patty Melts:

2 thinly sliced onions
3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1/4 small onion, finely diced
1 pound ground chuck (20% fat)
1 tablespoon ketchup
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1 tsp. kosher salt
8 slices seeded rye bread
4 oz. thinly sliced swiss cheese
4 oz. thinly sliced aged cheddar cheese
4 teaspoons mayonnaise

1. Heat two tablespoons of the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add sliced onions. Cook, stirring often, adding a little water as needed to prevent burning, until onions are deep golden brown and very soft, about 20-25 minutes.
2. Mix together diced onion, beef, ketchup, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Divide into four portions and press each between wax or parchment paper until about 1/4 inch thick. You'll want the patties to be about the same size as your bread. (Ahead of time note: patties can be formed several hours ahead and kept, covered with plastic, in the refrigerator).
3. Heat remaining tablespoon oil in a heavy skillet, preferably cast iron. Cook patties, in batches if necessary, until browned but a little pink inside, about 2 minutes per side. Remove to a plate.
4. Assemble and cook the melts: place cast iron skillet over medium heat. Top 4 bread slices with cheddar cheese. Place patties on top, then spoon on the onions. Top onions with swiss cheese and then the second slice of bread. Spread 1 tsp. mayonnaise on each piece of bread.
5. Place sandwiches, mayonnaise side down, in skillet. Top with piece of foil, then weigh down with second skillet to gently press sandwiches. Cook until undersides are golden brown, about 2 minutes. Spread 1 tsp mayonnaise on top sides. Flip sandwiches, press with skillet again, and cook until second side is golden brown. Slice in half and serve, with pickles and cole slaw if you like.

Here are some shots of the process, first the onions after slicing. As you can see I used red and white because I had red onions on hand.

Here the onions are just starting to cook.

Onions caramelized!  See how much they reduce?

They get really sweet too.  Now here's the burger mixture:

And then the formed patties:

Oh, that little one?  That's for the beagles!  Okay, now on to cooking. Into the skillet they go:

Then we flip:

Now here are the formed sandwiches cooking in the pan.

And the finished product is up top. So thank you Bon Appetit! Patty Melts are delicious, and highly recommended.  

If you're after a Tuna Melt, here you go:

Tuna Melts

(makes 4)

2 cans white or dark meat tuna, preferably Dolphin-safe, packed in oil

2 stalks celery, finely chopped

1 tablespoon onion, finely chopped

1 small dill pickle, finely chopped

salt and fresh ground pepper

1/4 cup mayonnaise (or more if you like), plus more for grilling

8 slices rye bread

About 2 cups grated Cheddar cheese

1 tbsp. canola oil

1. Drain tuna, and then, in a small bowl, flake it with a fork. Toss in chopped celery, chopped pickle and chopped onion. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then mix in mayonnaise.
2. Lay four slices of rye bread down on a work surface. Top each slice with enough grated Cheddar to cover. Top the grated cheese with tuna salad. Lay more grated cheese down over tuna, and top with second slice of bread to make sandwiches. Spread 1 teaspoon mayonnaise on top of each. 
3. Heat the canola oil in a skillet (preferably cast iron) until medium hot, then wipe out most of the oil, leaving just a very thin layer. Transfer the sandwiches to the skillet, mayonnaise side down (you may need to do this in two batches). Cover with a sheet of foil, and weigh the sandwiches down with another skillet or pot. Cook until golden, about three minutes. Remove the weight and foil. Spread another teaspoon mayonnaise on uncooked side. Then flip the sandwiches and cook the second side, another 3 minutes or so, until golden and cheese is melted. Serve with Lays Potato Chips!