I want to say I was the hipster of Au Cheval... I was there before it was cool. Call it 2012 while I was at UChicago?
Nonetheless, whenever I return to Chicago, I always make sure I stop by Au Cheval despite its 3-5 hour wait! The $3.50 shots of Evan Williams help pass the time… or the plethora of bars in the West Loop too…
Their burgers are the most heartwarming (and potentially heart stopping) meals ever. I want to say they were one of the pioneers that popularized eggs on top of burgers back in 2012? The creamy yolk, voluptuousness of the dijon-mayo sauce, and fatty burger is a symphony of richness. Contrasting with the bite of the onion, hidden layers of dill pickles, and finally chased with a pallet-cleansing dill pickle. I'd take this over any three Michelin-starred restaurant.
(this is a repost of my original recipe that was the top hit on Google from 2018-2020)
Ingredients:
Two 1/4 pound 80/20 ground beef patties
Two slices of cheddar cheese
Toasted brioche bun
One fried egg, sunny-side up (or as you prefer)
Minced red onions
Dijon-mayo sauce (literally dijon mustard, mayo, squirt of lemon juice, s&p all mixed together)
Slices of dill pickle
Quarter spear of dill pickle
Parsley or chives for garnish (I forgot to add it in the picture, so please excuse me)
Directions:
Smother sauce on both sides of the bun
Layer red onions on the top bun and fan out sliced dill pickle
Heat a pan to medium-high
When hot, add a touch of clarified butter (or vegetable oil) and fry burgers 3-4 minutes
Flip the burger
Fry the egg to your liking (preferably runny)
Layer the cheese on the burgers, cover the pan, and let it melt for 15 seconds
Stack the two burgers in the pan and lay on top of the bottom bun
Place the egg on the top bun
Plate the burger
Done.