The Cured Meat Utah Uses To Amp Up Their Burgers

In addition to stunning national parks and some of the finest ski resorts in the country, Utah is also home to a famous, uniquely topped burger. While most of us love our burgers topped with cheese or bacon (because bacon tastes good with everything) folks in Utah go all out for a pastrami-topped hamburger.

Pastrami, a type of cured meat originating in Romania, is typically made with beef brisket that's been brined, dried, seasoned, smoked, and steamed. While it would seem like a burger which would be served in New York City using the best pastrami, Utah's iconic burger was actually first served at Minos Burgers in Anaheim, California, by its creator James Katsanevas in the early '70s. Ten years later, Katsanevas moved to Salt Lake City, Utah, opened a new restaurant called Crown Burgers and served his invention to a far more welcoming audience. The rest, as they say, is history.

If you've never had the pleasure of sinking your teeth into a juicy pastrami burger, the flavors are off the chart with the spicy, smoked saltiness of pastrami enhancing the rich, meaty flavor of the griddled ground beef. At Crown, this regional burger is served on a toasted sesame seed bun and topped with hot, pan-sautéed pastrami, Thousand Island dressing, lettuce, fresh tomatoes, sliced onions, pickles, and American cheese.

Most people don't have the time and money to jump on a plane and head to Utah, so anyone who wants to try it will have to duplicate this meaty feast at home. Although we're not sure if this is the practice at Crown Burgers, or any of several Salt Lake City joints serving the hot pastrami-laden favorite, you can double up the flavor with one simple step. After sautéing the pastrami, toast the sesame seed bun in the pastrami-seasoned cast iron pan before assembling your burger.