Winnipeg-Style “Fat Boy” Cheeseburgers
Winnipeg-Style “Fat Boy” Cheeseburgers
Very few places in Canada have the distinction of having their own style of burger. Of course, Toronto and its popular banquet burger is one, while the other—you may be surprised to find out—is in Winnipeg…and it is DELICIOUS! The “Fat Boy” is a burger style born of fast-casual spots in the city such as Junior’s and Dairi Wip and VJ’s Drive Inn. Aside from this burger often calling for pickle spears instead of medallions and putting the cheese underneath the patty, the real differentiator here is the addition of Greek-style meat sauce (think the meat sauce in moussaka) with notes of cloves, allspice and cinnamon, making this (charmingly messy) burger taste like no other. Of course, there are subtle variations on the theme depending on where you go, but as an unofficial Winnipegger who has eaten his fair share of Fat Boy burgers, here’s how recipe developer, Dan Clapson, likes to make it. Recipe adapted from the original developed by Dan Clapson.
Ingredients
1 lb (500 g) Lean Ground Beef
2 onions, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp (30 mL) tomato paste
2 cups (500 mL) beef broth
1 bay leaf
1 tsp (5 mL) salt (approx)
¼ tsp (1 mL) ground allspice
Pinch EACH ground cinnamon and cloves
1 tbsp (15 mL) liquid honey
PepperSmash PattiesCanola or sunflower oil
1 lb (500 g) Lean Ground Beef Chuck or Lean Ground Beef
SaltTo Serve4 good-quality sesame seed hamburger buns
1 ½ to 2 cups (375 to 500 mL) shredded lettuce
8 tomato slices
4 classic dill pickles, quartered lengthwise
4 slices Cheddar cheese or processed cheese slices
1 cup (250 mL) diced white onions
Mustard and mayonnaise
Directions
1. Meat Sauce: Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large saucepan. Cook beef, stirring often and breaking up beef into small chunks with back of spoon, for 8 to 10 minutes or until beef is browned. Drain, if necessary.
2. Add onions, garlic and tomato paste; cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes, until onions are very soft. Stir in broth, bay leaf, 1 tsp (5 mL) salt, allspice, cinnamon, cloves and honey and bring to a simmer; reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes until thickened. Discard bay leaf. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Keep warm until ready to assembly burgers. (Meat Sauce can be made ahead; cool and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days, then reheat on the stovetop over medium heat until bubbling before serving.)
3. Smash Patties: Set kitchen fan to HIGH. Lightly brush a large cast-iron skillet or a grill pan with oil and heat over medium heat for 5 minutes until pan is very hot, but not smoking.
4. Meanwhile, place beef in a bowl and season liberally with salt; gently combine with a fork or your hands (careful not to over-mix). Form into 4 equal balls.
5. Place balls into hot pan, in batches as necessary, and use a metal spatula (or burger/grill press) to flatten until about ¼ inch (5 mm) thick. Cook for about 4 minutes or until a golden-crispy crust forms on the bottom. Use the edge of the spatula to carefully scrape up and flip the patties over, making sure to get all browned bits removed from the skillet. Cook for about 2 minutes, or until well-browned on the bottom and a digital instant-read thermometer inserted sideways into each patty reads 160°F (71°C). Transfer to a plate.
6. To Serve: Lay out all 8 halves of the buns on a work surface with cut sides up. Slather mayo on top halves of buns and mustard on the bottom halves. On each bun top, stack toppings in order: lettuce, 2 tomato slices and 4 pickle spears. On each bun bottom, stack toppings in order: onion, cheese slice, patty and Meat Sauce. Carefully flop tops, with toppings, over on top of sauce. Serve immediately.
Notes
For added “restaurant quality” try lightly steaming the sesame seed buns just before assembly.
These burgers can also be made on a barbecue, of course, but I love the crispy crust you get when using a cast-iron skillet or grill pan inside. Just make sure to open your kitchen window and turn the stovetop fan on because things can get a tad smoky. It’s tricky to “smash” burgers on the barbecue so shape the beef into patties before grilling.
