Connecticut Steamed Cheeseburger

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb ground beef, 80/20
• 8 oz sharp Wisconsin cheddar, shredded
• 4 hard rolls or kaiser rolls
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• Yellow mustard, for serving
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced white onion

Before you cook

• Mix the beef with the soy sauce, tomato paste, onion powder, salt, and pepper using your hands, working just until combined.
• Shape the mixture into 4 thick patties about 4 inches across and press a shallow divot in the center of each.
• Split the rolls and set them open on a board.

Steps

1. Pour 4 cups of water into a large pot, set a steamer basket inside, and bring the water to a boil over high heat.
2. Arrange the patties in the steamer basket without stacking them.
3. Cover the pot and steam the burgers for 8 minutes.
4. Put the shredded cheddar into a small heatproof cup or ramekin.
5. Nestle the cup of cheese in the basket beside the burgers, cover again, and steam for 4 minutes more, until the cheese has slumped into a thick molten pool and the patties read 155 degrees at the center.
6. Lift a patty onto the bottom of each roll using a slotted spatula, letting any water drain off first.
7. Stir the melted cheddar once with a spoon, then pour it thickly over each patty so it runs down the sides.
8. Add sliced onion and a stripe of yellow mustard.
9. Close the rolls and eat them right away, before the cheese sets.