Paunch Burger
Prep time
30 mins
Cook time
10 mins
Total time
40 mins
A big fat triple decker cheeseburger recipe based on the Paunch Burgers from the show Parks and Recreation. Prep time includes time for all the herb, garlic, and onion chopping.
Author: Heather Tullos
Serves: 4 monster Paunch Burgers
Ingredients
- For the Garlic Dill Aioli:
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- 1 clove garlic, finely minced
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh dill
- salt to taste
- For the Beef Patties:
- About 2 pounds of 80/20 ground beef (see note)
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- ⅓ cup Vidalia onions, very finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons freshly chopped chives
- 1 tablespoon freshly chopped dill
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- For the Fried Onions:
- 1 small Vidalia onion, halved and thinly sliced
- 1½ cups buttermilk
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- oil for frying
- kosher salt to taste
- For Building the Burgers:
- 4 Potato Buns
- 4 slices each Smoked Cheddar, Swiss, and Monterrey Jack Cheese
- 4 slices bacon, cooked and drained on a paper towel.
- lettuce and dill pickle slices
- ketchup
Instructions
- In a small bowl combine the mayonnaise, garlic, dill, and salt. Cover and refrigerate until time to serve.
- Combine the ground beef, garlic, onions, chives, chopped dill, kosher salt, and black pepper. DO NOT over mix. Over-mixing yields tough burgers. Divide the beef into 4 portions and then divide each portion into 3 patties. The patties should be on the small side and will be easier to cook and stack if you make them thin. Refrigerate while you work on the onions.
- Soak the onions in the buttermilk. In a shallow dish combine the flour, paprika, and pepper.
- Heat the cooking oil over medium high heat (I use a small saucepan and fill it halfway up with Canola oil). Dredge the onions a few at a time through the flour mixture and then toss them in the hot oil. I make these in several small batches - they will only take a minute to cook. Set them on a paper towel to drain. Sprinkle salt on the cooked fried onions.
- Heat a large skillet (I used cast iron) over medium high heat. Add as many patties as you can without over-crowding the skillet. I reduce my heat just a little at this point. 3-4 minutes on the first side should be fine. Flip and cook for just another minute or two on the second side. The thin patties should cook quickly.
- Remove the cooked burgers to a plate and add the cheese. Each burger will get 3 patties, and each of the 3 patties will get a different kind of cheese.
- Build your burger: Grab the fancy mayonnaise you made and spread it on the bottom bun. Add a burger patty with cheese, and then another. Then add pickles and lettuce. Add the 3rd burger patty, then a slice of bacon, then a handful of fried onions. Spread the top bun with more garlic dill aioli and some ketchup.
Notes
2 pounds will yield you 4 extremely obnoxious half pound burgers. You can scale this portion accordingly.
