Patty Melt with Cole Slaw and Cucumber Tomato Salad

Ok so it is not the best photo but you get the idea!

I love patty melts, bread is so much better than buns, especially rye bread. The mixture of the rye bread and caramelized onions (with sour cream, YUM!) gives this dish a unique twist on a traditional patty melt. As the burger is heavy, I served it with two lighter sides, cole slaw and cucumber tomato salad.

Ingredients
Serves 6

3 tablespoons butter
5 onions, 4 thinly sliced and 1 peeled
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper
1 cup beef broth
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1 pounds ground beef sirloin
1 pound ground pork
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
EVOO
12 slices of rye bread
6 slices of tomato (optional)

Directions

Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and bay leaf; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until deep caramel in color and very soft, 35 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the beef broth and cook until all the liquid is almost absorbed. Let cool, then discard the bay leaf. Stir in the sour cream.

Preheat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Place the beef in a bowl and season with the Worcestershire, salt, and pepper. Grate 3 to 4 tablespoons of the peeled onion over the meat. Mix the meat, but do not overwork it. Form 6 patties. Drizzle the skillet with EVOO. Cook the burgers, turning once, for 6- 8 minutes for pink centers.

Turn the heat on cast iron to low. Place the burgers on the bread and top with the onion mixture and tomato. Melt 1 tbs of butter in the skillet. Place the sandwiches in the cast iron and toast on both sides like a grilled cheese.

Tip: When toasting these I use a lid that is smaller than the cast iron and put directly over the sandwiches, then I manually put pressure on the lid. This weight helps get a great toast on the bread and form it into a true patty melt.