Cycle 4 – Item 175
29 (Sat) June 2013
Ju(i)cy Lucy
2.5
by me
at Club Board
-Gapyeong, Gyeonggi, Republic of Korea-
with the Family, CJH + KKH, LHS + YYH
Club Board is a resort, sorta. The property comprises a pair of elevator-less buildings with AC-less guest rooms, BBQ/picnic area (for a fee), and swimming pool (for a fee). Located along a river, the resort also offers various motorized water sports (for a fee) (e.g., wakeboarding). What appears to have been some kind of mini golf course was converted into camping grounds, probably to take advantage of the recent camping boom, though the lack of proper support facilities suggests that campers aren’t a high priority. Indeed, the owner informed us, after we’d set up, that fire/grilling is allowed only in the BBQ/picnic area (for a fee), showing an utter/absurd ignorance of why Koreans go camping at all. We ignored him, as did the other campers around us. What a joke.
Our the first outing with the camping crew in over 3 months. When YYH requested that I make burgers – at these gatherings, we’ve come to an arrangement whereby she feeds my wife (who likes Korean food), and I feed her husband (who likes western food); she’s putting in special requests now, apparently – I decided to try something different while I was at it.
Ju(i)cy Lucy is an American dish. It’s a cheeseburger that contains the cheese within the patty. The types of cheese, as well as additional ingredients (e.g., bacon), and the external toppings and condiments, may vary. Generally referred to as a “stuffed cheeseburger,” the term “Jucy Lucy” (Matt’s Bar) or “Juicy Lucy” (5-8 Club) was coined by one of two bars on the same street in Minneapolis that both claim to have invented the dish.
The patties were prepared the night before at home and cooked at the campsite.
Alas, my first Ju(i)icy Lucy was a disappointment. The main problem, I believe, was in trying to finesse the cheese by replacing the classic cheddar with a blend of muenster and pepper jack. Due to their relatively light taste and texture, I prefer them in sandwiches. But here, they were too light: what should have been a bomb of cheesiness turned out to be a dud. I knew that I’d failed when YYH, who doesn’t like cheeseburgers because they’re usually too rich for her tastes, remarked that she liked its “lean” quality. Also, the patties had bled out overnight, so they turned out a bit dry. But it was a fun experience to make them.
(See also CAMPING)
(See also GLOBAL FOOD GLOSSARY)
