Cooking Steps

• 1

  Prepare the zingy sauce by combining the ingredients and stirring until smooth. Set aside for later.

• 2

  Combine the beef, salt, and soy sauce in a large bowl and mix well. Roll gently into four evenly sized balls.

• 3

  Heat a large frying pan and toast 2 slices of rye bread in your hot pan on each side until they are well done. Set aside.

• 4

  Wipe out the pan and over high heat, with a drizzle of oil, add 2 burger patties and use a spatula to smash them until they are very thin, a little larger than the size of your slice of rye bread (they will shrink as they cook.) Top each patty with a few of your sliced onions and smash it again. Cook for about 2 minutes or until the patties are crisped, then flip. Cook an additional 2 minutes, then remove from the pan. Repeat for the other patties.

• 5

  Assemble your patty melts. Start with 1 slice of untoasted rye bread. Spread the bottom with zingy sauce, then top with 1 cooked burger patty, 2 slices of American cheese, and 1 toasted slice of rye bread. Repeat for the second layer: more zingy sauce, another cooked burger patty, 2 more slices of American cheese. Top with remaining slice of bread.

• 6

  Carefully transfer patty melt to the skillet, and using a spatula, gently press. Cook until the underside is well toasted and cheese is starting to melt, about a minute or two, then flip and cook until the other side is toasted, and cheese is fully melted. Repeat for the second melt. Cut each melt in half and share the stacks out!