My version of "Russian" burgers, I like mine with cheese, lots of it

I love cheeseburgers.  I hate making last minute cheeseburgers.  This poses a serious problem in the life and times of me.

I read lots of posts about cheeseburgers. Russian, German and Polish specifically and have developed this version of a combination of all of them.  Don't yell at me about authenticity, this is simply my version of a morph of many ideas and many methods, the final result of which is the recipe I share with you below that quite simply makes me a happy burger eating soul.

Seriously, make these.  Make a ton and freeze them, make a ton and serve a crowd.  They are absolutely worth the try.....

Tracy's "Russian" Burgers

INGREDIENTS

2 lbs Ground meat, beef/pork combo, or all of whatever meat floats your boat.
3 thick slices of white bread, broken up
1/4 cup milk
1 grated onion
salt, pepper
Fresh breadcrumbs to coat the meat
Beef stock cut with water, enough to generously cover the pan you'll hold your burgers in
plain oil

COMBINE the bread milk and onion in a large bowl, leave them to soak up together for about 10 minutes or so,

ADD the meat, salt, pepper

MIX well and divide into whatever size meatballs you like.  Use the bun you're going to contain them with and make them the size to fit inside.

ROLL the balls in breadcrumbs and leave them set and dry, on the counter for about 15 mins.

HEAT some oil in a shallow pan.  Use enough oil to generously cover the bottom of the pan.

FRY the meatballs, pressing them down slightly to look more like a burger and less like a meatball before you drop them into the fat.  Fry them until they are dark brown and lovely.

Don't worry about trying to cook them through, this is the makeup portion of cooking.  We just want them pretty.

Heat stock and water (1/2 1/2) in a pan large enough to hold the burger.

As the burgers cook, place them in the warmed stock, single layer please!

Cover the pan when they're all done and pop them into a 350 oven for about 30 minutes.

DONE

When you want to eat, take out however many burgers you want, cover them with cheese and pop them into an oven till the cheese melts, put in fresh buns with whatever toppings makes you happy and eat and eat and eat.

These freeze beautifully, hold for days and heat up in the microwave if you have to on a whim.

Here's the play by play beauty shots:

Here's the meatballs, slightly squashed and coated in breadcrumbs, just hanging out.

drop a few breadcrumbs in the oil to be sure it's hot.  Add the burgers gently and cook them till they're beautiful 

  

Do this in batches and transfer them to the warm stock as they're done 

  

oh, look at the action shot...  yes, i crowded the pan, it works anyway :)  

  

Covered and into the oven, 350 for about half an hour.  This is what they look like after 1/2hour, they actually plump up.  Leave them covered in the broth at room temperature until you need them.....

SO, when you want to eat, grab a couple of the burgers and put them on a sheetpan, cover them with Gouda cheese, seriously, it has to be Gouda. 

HEAT the burgers till the cheese melts.  WHILE they warm up, toast your buns and slather a little homemade aioli on them or whatever toppings make you deliriously happy.

SERVE up the hot melty burgers on the toasty soft yummy rolls and devour with abandon and joy in your soul. 

      
look at these beauties.  I love how the cheese oozes down the sides and makes a round burger coat of melty cheese for our soft, juicy delicious burgers.
  

Tell me how much you love these!! 

/tracy