Monte Cristo Burgers
A Monte Cristo sandwich is a sort of savory French toast sandwich. This recipe combines the traditional sandwich with the hamburger.
1 pound 80/20 ground chuck
Salt
Freshly-ground black pepper
Olive oil
4 hamburger buns, halved
Few shots of hot sauce
1 egg, beaten
2 tbsp heavy cream
4 slices cheese
Nonstick cooking spray
Preheat oven to 200°F.
Combine the egg, hot sauce, and cream in a pie plate. Dip cut sides of buns into egg mixture. Move to a cooling rack and let sit 10 minutes.
10 minutes
Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Grease with cooking spray.
Add buns, one at a time, and cook until browned on cut side. Move to a clean plate and repeat until all buns have been cooked. Keep warm in the oven.
Form beef into 4 equal patties. Brush both sides with olive oil and sprinkle both sides liberally with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Heat about 28 charcoal briquets in a large chimney starter. Once hot, disperse evenly around the bottom of a grill and reapply grate. Add patties and cook, turning often, until internal temperature reaches 145°F for medium rare, 160°F for medium, and 170°F for toast.
Remove to a plate, top with cheese, and cover with aluminum foil. Let rest 3 minutes.
3 minutes
Place a patty on the bottom half of each bun. Top with upper half and serve warm.