Burger-loving Northern Californians agree:Dad’s Luncheonetteis a must-visit spot on any road trip through the Bay Area. Housed in an old train caboose on the side of the road in Half Moon Bay, it’s the vision of chef and co-owner Scott Clark, who opened the restaurant after the birth of his daughter inspired a shift away from a career in fine dining. Now he spends his time slinging nostalgia-driven food like these hamburger sandwiches, which are beloved by locals and visitors alike.
“I grew up in a family where we ate everything on white bread, so that part was very easy,” Clark says. When devising the dish that would anchor the menu at Dad’s, he thought, “We’re going to make a hamburger, and we’re going to slam it between two buttery, toasted pieces of white bread.” With a runny fried egg for richness and pickled red onions for brightness and acid, it’s about as well balanced as a burger can get. Also, because Clark “does not f*#% with ketchup,” he slathers the bread with Dad’s Sauce, a sweet and tangy tomato-free spread that he calls “the embodiment of what ketchup should be.” Use any leftovers as a dip or in place of mayo in potato salad.—Kendra Vaculin
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What you’ll need
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Heavy Metal Spatula
$9 At Amazon
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Large Skillet with Lid
$40 At Amazon
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Whisk
$10 At Amazon
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Small Saucepan
$155 At Amazon
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Food Processor
$63 At Amazon
Ingredients
Makes 4
Pickled onion
Sauce and assembly
Pickled onion
Step 1
Cook garlic, bay leaf, peppercorns, and red pepper flakes in a dry small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring often, until garlic is browned in spots and spices are lightly toasted and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add vinegar and sugar and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring, until sugar is dissolved, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and let sit 10 minutes.
Step 2
Place red onion in an airtight container; strain pickling liquid over. Cover and chill at least 1 hour.
Do ahead:Onion can be pickled 1 week ahead. Keep chilled.
Sauce and assembly
Step 3
Whisk together egg yolk, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, honey, 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt, and 1 tsp. pepper in a medium bowl. Slowly stream in oil, whisking until sauce is emulsified and lightened in color. (Alternatively, you can process in a food processor.) Set aside.
Step 4
Heat 2 tsp. ghee in a large skillet over medium-high. Working in batches and adding more ghee between batches if needed, cook bread, undisturbed, until golden brown and crisp underneath, about 3 minutes. Transfer, toasted side down, to a wire rack. Reserve skillet.
Step 5
Portion beef into 4 loosely packed balls (4 oz. each); season generously with salt and pepper on all sides.
Step 6
Heat remaining 2 Tbsp. ghee in reserved skillet over medium-high. Place balls of meat in skillet and tilt skillet so ghee pools in pan; spoon melted ghee over meat to coat. Using a sturdy metal spatula, press down on meat to form ½"-thick patties. Cook until browned and crisp underneath, about 2 minutes. Flip patties; top patties with cheese. Partially cover skillet and cook until cheese is melted and patties are browned on other side and cooked to desired doneness, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate, leaving fat behind.
Step 7
Crack eggs into same skillet and cook, shaking pan occasionally to prevent eggs from sticking together, until whites are set but yolks are still runny, about 3 minutes.
Step 8
To build sandwiches, spread untoasted side of bread slices with reserved sauce. Arrange a few lettuce leaves over 4 slices, then top each with some drained pickled onion, a patty, and an egg. Close up sandwiches.
Do ahead:Sauce can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and chill.
*生鸡蛋不建议婴儿、老人ly, pregnant women, people with weakened immune systems…or people who don’t like raw eggs.
