Steamed cheeseburger: Difference between revisions
Removed clean-up tag |
T.X.Critter (talk | contribs) Not only were steamed cheeseburgers originally only found in central Connecticut but they are still to this day hard to find outside of Connecticut. The only example I've ever seen of them being available outside Connecticut is a food truck in San Francisco, California. |
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{{selfref|For the internet meme, see [[Steamed Hams]].}} |
{{selfref|For the internet meme, see [[Steamed Hams]].}} |
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A '''steamed cheeseburger''', also referred to as a '''steamer''' |
A '''steamed cheeseburger''', also referred to as a '''steamer'''<ref name="Edge 2005"/> or '''cheeseburg''',<ref name="auto">Hamburger America: Completely Revised and Updated Edition: A State-by-State Guide to 150 Great Burger Joints</ref> is a [[hamburger]] topped with [[cheese]] that is cooked via [[steaming]]. It is well known for being originally and almost exclusively served by restaurants in central [[Connecticut]] in the [[United States]].<ref name="Stern Stern 2009"/> |
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==Preparation== |
==Preparation== |
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Revision as of 06:06, 9 November 2018
A steamed cheeseburger, also referred to as a steamer[1] or cheeseburg,[2] is a hamburger topped with cheese that is cooked via steaming. It is well known for being originally and almost exclusively 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][2] 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.[6]
Availability and distribution
Ted's Restaurant in Meriden is the most famous eatery that serves steamed cheeseburgers due to media coverage[7][8] but they are also available at establishments in the adjacent towns of Wallingford, Middletown, Portland, Cromwell, and further east in East Hampton.[9] In 2011, Ted's Restaurant opened a location further south in North Haven,[10] 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.[11][12] Ted's also has a concession stand behind section 101 inside the XL Center arena in Hartford.[13]
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.[14][15]
See also
References
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b Hamburger America: Completely Revised and Updated Edition: A State-by-State Guide to 150 Great Burger Joints
- ^ 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.
- ^ GRIFFIN, LEEANNE. "Ted's Steamed Cheeseburgers Now At Hartford's XL Center". Courant.com. Retrieved 28 October 2018.
- ^ sam (21 June 2012). "In Connecticut, Steamed Cheeseburger is King". Qsrmagazine.com. Retrieved 27 April 2017.
- ^ a b "Images of America: Middletown" by Robert Hubbard, Kathleen Hubbard, and The Middlesex County Historical Society, Copyright 2009, Arcadia Publishing, page 94
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Fork in the Road: getting steamed is the only way at Ted's in Meridien, Conn". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 27 April 2017.
- ^ "The Steamed Cheeseburger Comes To Cromwell". articles.courant.com. Retrieved 27 April 2017.
- ^ "'Meat and cheese in every bite': Ted's brings steamed burgers to North Haven". Nhregister.com. Retrieved 27 April 2017.
- ^ "Ted's Steam Machine: Cheesy Goodness In The Park". Articles.courant.com. Retrieved 27 April 2017.
- ^ "Meriden burger delicacy goes mobile with Ted's 'Steam Machine'". Myrecordjournal.com. Retrieved 27 April 2017.
- ^ "Ted's Steamed Cheeseburgers Now At Hartford's XL Center". Courant.com. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
- ^ [1] [dead link]
- ^ "Playing as Steamed Cheeseburgers, Yard Goats pay tribute to another state legend – The Collinsville Press". Collinsvillepress.com. Retrieved 28 October 2018.