Oklahoma Fried Onion Burgers

Ingredients

1 large onion, peeled, halved and thinly sliced
salt and pepper
1 lb ground beef
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4-8 slices American cheese
Mayo, mustard and pickles, for serving
4 hamburger buns, toasted

Directions

Combine the onion slices and 1 teaspoon of salt in a bowl and toss to combine. Transfer the onions to a colander and let sit for 30 minutes, tossing occasionally.

Transfer the onions to a clean dish towel, gather the edges together and squeeze out as much liquid as you can from the onions. Do this over the sink or a large bowl since the onions will have quite a bit of liquid in them.

Divide the onions into 4 separate mounds on a rimmed baking sheet.

Form the beef into 4 lightly packed balls. Place the beef balls on top of the onion mounds and flatten the beef firmly so the onion adheres to the beef. The patties should measure 4 inches in diameter. Season the beef generously with salt and pepper.

Melt the butter with the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Using a large spatula, transfer the patties to the skillet, onion side down.

Cook for 6-8 minutes, until the onions turn a deep golden brown and begin to crisp around the edges. Flip the burgers, then increase the heat to high and cook until well browned on the second side, about 2 minutes.

Add 1 or 2 slices of cheese to each burger and allow to melt.

Add mayo, mustard and pickles to the top buns, then place each burger on a bottom buns.