Eat Drink New York: 2021

Au Cheval Single Cheeseburger

The Au Cheval Cheeseburger is one tasty burger that's on the menu of the Chicago restaurant Au Cheval. They make a damn tasty Cheeseburger that first gained fame in at the restaurant in Chicago and now being served at this Chicago company's restaurant 4 Charles Prim at 4 Charles Street in New York's Greenwich Village. I found out about the place through my cousins Eddie and Joe who knew of it, raved about it, and said we have to go. I was salivating at the thought, and it would take a few months until we did, until one night I got a call from my cousin Joe. I answered my cel and Joe asked me, "Danny, what are you doing?"

"Nothing," I said.

"We're gong to Charles Prime tonight," Joe told me. "We've got a reservation at 12 Midnight. We're at Cipriani, come and meet us." And so I did. I put on a nice shirt, my best watch (Tag Steve McQueen Monaco Chronograph), and threw on my Harris Tweed Jacket and off I was to Cipriani Downtown. My cousins Joe, Tommy, and Eddie were there with two of Tommy's friends who I'd never met before. Joe ordered me a Negroni and we had a great time. I always love going to Cipriani and was excited at the prospect of going to Charles Prime and finally getting to eat one of their famous Au Cheval Burgers. We chit chatted and drank our cocktails and at 11:40 pm we left Cipriani to head over to Charles Prime a few minutes away.

We got to Charles Prime and were greeted warmly by the staff, as Tommy had already laid the groundwork. He had eaten there already, got to know the staff, and endeared himself to them, and we "Were in like Flynn." We sat down and ordered some Bourbon Old Fashions to start us off.

I'm going to make the rest of this story speed up a little. We had all sorts of things to eat; Crab Cocktails, Prime Rib Steaks, all sorts of Potatoes, including Fries of course, Creamed Spinach, the famed Cheeseburgers, and I can't remember everything else. We had a couple bottles of good Bordeaux wine too. Now when all was said and done, I believe we should have skipped the Prime Rib and some of the other stuff. As it turned out, it was true, "the Cheeseburger was great," and we should have just stuck with that, and all eaten more of the burgers and less steak. We all felt like we didn't get to eat enough of the Cheeseburger and were yearning for more. So, if I go again, I'll skip the steak and everything else except maybe a Crab or Shrimp Cocktail, French Fries, and Creamed Spinach will be welcome and either one or two Cheeseburgers depending on how hungry I am, "and that's that. Basta!"

"Make Your Own at Home" !

Au CHEVAL CHEESEBURGER

RECIPE :

12 ounce Prime Ground Chuck Beef

2 Brioche or Potato Hamburger Buns

4 slices good quality Yellow American Cheese

1/3 cup Hellman's Real Mayonnaise

1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard

1 teaspoon prepared Horseradish

Salt & Black Pepper

Butter

2 tablespoons Olive Oil

16 slices Dill Pickle

Place the Mayonnaise, Mustard, and Horseradish in a small bowl and mix with a fork.

Divide the ground beef into 4 equal pieces and form into burger patties about 1/4" thick. Season all 4 patties on both sides with Salt and Black Pepper to taste.

Heat a large frying pan on medium heat add the olive oil and heat for 1 minute. Add the burger patties and let them cook for about 3 1/2 minutes, then flip them over. Cook the patties on the 2nd side for 2 minutes.

Lower the heat to low and add 1 tablespoon of butter to the pan and cook the burger for 1 minute.

Flip the burger and let cook for 30 seconds more. Place the burgers on a plate and top each with a slice of cheese.

Place the buns in the pan and let toast in the pan juices for about 1 minute, until crisp. Be careful not to burn. Turn the heat off.

Place the un bottoms on to 2 plates. Smear some of the sauce mixture on the all 4 bun pieces. Place a burger patties on top of each bottom bun. Top each pattie with 4 slices of pickles. Place a 2nd burger patty on top of these 2 burgers and top with 4 slices of pickles each.

Top each with the top burger buns and serve.