Patty Melt

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 lb ground chuck, 80/20
• 2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
• 8 slices seeded rye bread
• 8 slices Swiss cheese
• 6 tbsp salted butter
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 3/4 tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp Thousand Island dressing, optional

Before you cook

• Slice the onions into thin half moons.
• Form the beef into 4 thin oval patties sized to match the rye bread, and season them with salt and pepper.
• Lay the bread slices out in pairs on the counter.

Steps

1. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter with the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat.
2. Add the onions and a pinch of salt, then cook for 25 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until they are jammy, deep brown, and reduced to about a cup.
3. Scrape the onions into a bowl and wipe the skillet.
4. Raise the heat to medium-high and cook the patties for 3 minutes per side, until well browned but not fully firm, then set them on a plate.
5. Spread the remaining butter over one side of every slice of rye.
6. Turn the heat down to medium and place two slices of bread butter side down in the skillet.
7. Lay a slice of Swiss on each, then a patty, then a quarter of the onions, then a second slice of Swiss.
8. Top with the remaining bread slices, butter side up.
9. Griddle for 3 minutes, pressing lightly with a spatula, until the underside is dark golden and the cheese below the meat has melted.
10. Flip each sandwich and griddle for 3 minutes more.
11. Move the melts to a board and build and griddle the second pair the same way.
12. Cut each sandwich in half on the diagonal and serve with Thousand Island for dipping if you like.