Best Patty Melt Recipe Ever

Steps:

• Season ground beef with salt and pepper and divide into 3 equal-sized balls. Shape each ball as close as possible to the shape of the bread. Make an indentation in the center of each patty with your thumb.
• Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat and cook onion until soft and translucent, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from the skillet and divide into 3 equal portions. Place beef patties into the same skillet and cook until desired doneness, 3 to 5 minutes per side.
• Meanwhile, spread 1 teaspoons mayonnaise on one side of each slice of bread.
• Place bread mayonnaise side-down in the skillet. Top with 1 slice of cheese, 1 beef patty, 1/3 of the onions, a second slice of cheese, and another slice of bread, mayonnaise side up. Cook bread until golden brown and cheese has started to melt, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip each sandwich over and cook an additional 3 to 4 minutes.

Steps:

• For the caramelized onions: Add the butter to a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onions and cook, undisturbed, until the bottoms of the onions begin to caramelize, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir once, then cook for another 5 minutes, undisturbed, until golden. Deglaze with the sherry. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
• For the patty melts: Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Form the meat into 4 balls with your hands. Season both sides with the garlic salt and some pepper. Smash to the desired size (matching up with the size of your bread). Griddle each side until crusty, very seared and about medium/medium rare in the interior (about 130 degrees F), 5 to 6 minutes a side. Thoroughly wipe clean the skillet and reduce the heat to medium low.
• On each of 4 slices of rye, place 2 slices of cheese, then a patty, then some onions, then 2 more slices of cheese and finally another slice of rye. Butter both sides of each sandwich (crust to crust is a must) and griddle until the bread is slightly golden and the cheese is gooey, 2 to 3 minutes per side (dome with a metal bowl if necessary to ensure the cheese melts). Serve with your favorite yellow mustard if desired.

Steps:

• In a medium skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium-low heat. Throw in the sliced onions and cook slowly until the onions are golden brown and soft, 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• In a medium bowl, mix together the ground beef, Worcestershire and some salt and pepper. Form into 4 patties.
• Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a separate skillet over medium heat. Cook the patties on both sides until totally done in the middle.
• Assemble the patty melts this way: Slice of bread, slice of cheese, hamburger patty, a quarter of the cooked onions, another slice of cheese and another slice of bread.
• On a clean griddle or in a large skillet over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter and grill the sandwiches until golden brown. Remove the sandwiches and add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter to the skillet. Return the sandwiches to the skillet, flipping them to the other side. Cook until golden brown and crisp, and until the cheese is melted. Slice in half and serve immediately!

Steps:

• Caramelize onions. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet set over high heat. When it foams, add the onions and sprinkle with salt. Do not stir immediately. Wait 1 minute, then begin to stir frequently over high heat for 5 minutes or so, or until the onions have released some liquid and started to become translucent.
• Reduce the heat to medium, and cook, stirring often, for what will seem like a very long time, until the onions are fully melted and dark golden brown, approximately 30 to 40 minutes. Remove onions, and set them and the skillet aside. (You can caramelize the onions a day ahead of time and reheat slowly when you're ready to cook.)
• Cook the burgers. Add the remaining butter to the skillet in which you cooked the onions, and place it over medium heat. Gently divide the ground beef into 4 small piles, and then lightly form these into patties that are like flattened meatballs, roughly the shape of a slice of rye bread. Season aggressively with salt and pepper.
• Increase the heat under skillet to high. Put the patties into the skillet with plenty of distance between them, and allow them to cook, without moving, for approximately 2 minutes. Use a spatula to turn the patties over, and continue to cook for another 2 to 2 1/2 minutes, then remove the patties from the skillet, and allow them to rest. (They will at this point be rare inside.)
• Decrease the heat below the skillet to medium, and put four pieces of rye bread into the butter and fat that remains from cooking the patties. Top each piece with a slice of cheese, then a patty, then some of the caramelized onions, and finally another slice of cheese and another slice of rye. Use the spatula to press down on the packages, and after about a minute or so, carefully turn over each patty to begin to brown the other side. (You may need to add the additional butter.) Cook until the cheese is fully melted and the bread is golden brown and crisp on both sides. Slice in half before serving.