No matter where you’re from, if you’re a baby boomer, you have probably heard of the famous ‘secret recipe’ for a burger called the Skeen Burger.
In the piedmont of North Carolina people get particularly riled up about this burger and it’s origins. Davidson County is home to world famous Lexington Barbeque, but it’s also the birth place of the best burger you’ll ever eat.
(The area has a long and rich human history and an even longer geological history. The rolling hills outside of Thomasville are the OLDEST MOUNTAINS IN AMERICA.)
Unfortunately, the Skeen burger is no longer served in any area restaurants and most of those in younger generations have never even heard of the once famous food. Some say the recipe itself is an urban legend.
Check out this Blog about the search for information on the Skeen burger.
In 1947, as the furniture industry in Thomasville, NC was booming, Dewey Skeen built a restaurant in the factory district. He served burgers made from local high quality beef. The restaurant was called the Morning Glory and the burgers got their name from the man who made them, but he never called them that. Many say the recipe he used was simply season salt, Dewey reportedly said the secret was the ground steak he used, but the legendary recipe passed down for generations in Davidson County has a more surprising ingredient list.
Ingredients:
- Lean Ground Angus Beef
- Lowry’s Season Salt
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Ritz Crackers
- Apple Sauce
- Irish Butter
How To:
With freshly washed hands, mix together the beef, Lowry’s, and Worcestershire in a large mixing bowl. Set it aside. Wash hands again. In a zip lock bag crush the Ritz crackers. Cut butter into small cubes. Add cold apple sauce to the bowl and use hands to mix well. At this point the mixture may seem a bit too wet to make into patties, add the crushed crackers and the mixture should be firm enough to patty. Lastly add small butter cubes. Hand patty the mixture, set aside patties on a platter, sprinkle with Lowry’s and refrigerate. When you cook them, whether it is on a grill or in a pan add a little extra Worcestershire.
Ratios:
I like to think in terms of ratios when cooking instead of exact measurements because recipes can be more easily adjusted to varied portions. For the Skeen burger, obviously, the amount of beef is the main variable which the rest of the recipe amounts depend upon. I like to make my burgers quarter pounders, so if we are feeding a few people, two pounds of meat makes eight medium sized patties. For every pound of meat, I use a half cup of apple sauce. So, that’s a ratio of 2:1, if I use two pounds of meat I need a cup of apple sauce. For every pound of meat I use a sleeve of Ritz crackers, so lets call that a ratio of 1:1. Two pounds = two sleeves. I use Irish butter because it has great flavor and keeps lean beef moist. If you use beef with a higher fat content you can skip the butter in the mix. I use a half a stick of butter per pound of meat, that’s a fourth of a cup or an eighth of a pound, so a ratio of 1:1/8. So, If I use two pounds of meat I cut a whole stick (4 ounces) in to tiny cubes. Use the season salt and sauce to your personal taste, but remember if you add a lot of sauce you may need extra crackers.
Serving Suggestion
If you want a true Carolina Style Skeen Burger, top it with American cheese, coleslaw, mustard, onions, and chili. I usually top mine with provolone, pickles, mayo, ketchup, and lettuce. Anyway you top it, the Skeen Burger will be one of the juiciest, most flavorful burgers you’ve ever cooked. The recipe may be the stuff of man made mythology, but this is one yummy urban legend.
Apple sauce has a long history, and has been paired with meat almost since it’s beginning. I wonder, if the apple sauce burger recipe didn’t come from Dewey Skeen, where did it come from?
My Crazy Kitchen 