Steamed cheeseburger

Half of a steamed cheeseburger

A steamed cheeseburger, also referred to as a steamer[1] or cheeseburg,[2] is a hamburger sandwich topped with cheese that is cooked via steaming and originally and most famously served by restaurants in central Connecticut in the United States.[3]

Preparation

What makes the steamed cheeseburger different from typical cheeseburgers is the way it is prepared. Instead of being fried in a pan or grilled on a grill, it is steamed in a stainless-steel cabinet containing trays that hold either a hamburger patty or a chunk of cheese. This method of cooking makes the fats in the meat melt away and they are then drained from the tray once the patty is fully cooked.[4] The end result is a moist, juicy burger which is then served by scooping the meat onto a bun and then pouring the melted cheese over the meat. Various customary toppings can then be added to the burger.[5]

Invention

The steamed cheeseburger is believed to have been invented at a restaurant called Jack's Lunch in Middletown, Connecticut, in the 1930s.[6][7] Jack's Lunch was located at 434 Main Street and operated by Jack Fitzgerald for 44 years. The steamed cheeseburgers at Jack's Lunch were "cooked in a tall copper box filled with simmering water for 18 tin trays of square ground-beef patties." Cheddar cheese was an option at an additional 5 cents.[8]

Availability and distribution

Ted's Restaurant in Meriden is the most famous eatery that serves steamed cheeseburgers due to media coverage[9][10] but they are also available at establishments in the adjacent towns of Wallingford, Middletown, Portland, Cromwell, and further east in East Hampton.[11] In 2011, Ted's Restaurant opened a location further south in North Haven,[12] and they also operate a food truck called the Steam Machine that sells steamed cheeseburgers further north at UConn Huskies football games at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, Bushnell Park in downtown Hartford, and the Xfinity Theatre amphitheatre in Hartford.[13][14] Ted's also has a concession stand behind section 101 inside the XL Center arena in Hartford.[15]

Hartford Yard Goats promotion

During the 2018 Minor League Baseball season the Hartford Yard Goats played one home game as the "Hartford Steamed Cheeseburgers". Special one-off uniforms resembling the food item were worn by the players and made-to-order steamed cheeseburgers from Ted's Restaurant were available for fans to purchase.[16][17]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Edge, J.T. (2005). Hamburgers & Fries: An American Story. G.P. Putnam's Sons. p. 67. ISBN 978-0-399-15274-0. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
  2. ↑ Hamburger America: Completely Revised and Updated Edition: A State-by-State Guide to 150 Great Burger Joints
  3. ↑ Stern, J.; Stern, M. (2009). 500 Things to Eat Before It's Too Late: And the Very Best Places to Eat Them. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. p. 63. ISBN 978-0-547-05907-5. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
  4. ↑ http://www.courant.com/features/food/hc-teds-steamed-cheeseburgers-at-hartford-xl-center-20171027-story.html
  5. ↑ sam (21 June 2012). "In Connecticut, Steamed Cheeseburger is King". Retrieved 27 April 2017.
  6. ↑ "Images of America: Middletown" by Robert Hubbard, Kathleen Hubbard, and The Middlesex County Historical Society, Copyright 2009, Arcadia Publishing, page 94
  7. ↑ Hamburger America: Completely Revised and Updated Edition: A State-by-State Guide to 150 Great Burger Joints
  8. ↑ "Images of America: Middletown" by Robert Hubbard, Kathleen Hubbard, and The Middlesex County Historical Society, Copyright 2009, Arcadia Publishing, page 94
  9. ↑ George Motz (2011). Hamburger America: A State-by-state Guide to 150 Great Burger Joints. Running Press. pp. 53–54. ISBN 9780762440702. Retrieved 26 April 2016.
  10. ↑ "Fork in the Road: getting steamed is the only way at Ted's in Meridien, Conn. - The Boston Globe". Retrieved 27 April 2017.
  11. ↑ "The Steamed Cheeseburger Comes To Cromwell". Retrieved 27 April 2017.
  12. ↑ "'Meat and cheese in every bite': Ted's brings steamed burgers to North Haven". Retrieved 27 April 2017.
  13. ↑ "Ted's Steam Machine: Cheesy Goodness In The Park". Retrieved 27 April 2017.
  14. ↑ Co, Record-Journal Publishing. "Meriden burger delicacy goes mobile with Ted's 'Steam Machine' - MyRecordJournal.com -". Retrieved 27 April 2017.
  15. ↑ "Ted's Steamed Cheeseburgers Now At Hartford's XL Center". Retrieved 26 October 2017.
  16. ↑ http://www.myrecordjournal.com/News/Meriden/Meriden-News/Hartford-Yard-Goats-to-be-Steamed-Cheeseburgers-for-a-day.html
  17. ↑ http://collinsvillepress.com/2018/08/playing-as-steamed-cheeseburgers-yard-goats-pay-tribute-to-another-state-legend/18767/
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.