Today is National Doughnut Day and there's no better way to celebrate than with a delicious burger and a cold craft beer.
But it can't be just any burger. You have to have Lokal Burgers & Beer's My Childhood Dream, the doughnut burger that owner Matthew Kuscher has literally been thinking about since he was a kid.
"My dad owned a Dunkin' Donuts just outside Washington D.C. when I was a kid. Back then everything was baked fresh. Remember those commercials -- time to make the doughnuts? That was my dad," Kuscher told Short Order.
Matt confesses there was one problem with this seemingly perfect childhood. "Back then, the store just sold doughnuts and coffee. Maybe a bagel. And I hated doughnuts."
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The shop had a full kitchen and Matt's parents used to cook for the kids -- sometimes incorporating the holey product of his dread. "The only way I would eat a doughnut was as a burger. Back then we didn't use glazed doughnuts, but they were good. For the rest of my life I kept dreaming about making a doughnut burger. But while I was dreaming about it, someone else introduced it first."
Kuscher might be talking about Paula Deen and her Lady's Brunch Burger, which was invented in 2008 or the Fat Kreme burger, circa 2003. In either event, Kuscher's family recipe from the 1980s would pre-date both versions.
Kuscher's not as interested in the history of the burger as in its deliciousness and simplicity. In fact, LoKal's owner says that this is the one burger on his menu you can easily make at home.
In addition to a burger patty (Matt uses Florida grass-fed beef), you'll need a glazed doughnut, a slice of American cheese, a farm-fresh egg, and a few slices of candied bacon (add brown sugar to fried bacon strips and finish in the oven).
Start by slicing a glazed Krispy Kreme doughnut.
Grill the burger patty, then add the bacon and American cheese. At the same time, fry an egg and heat the doughnut slices on the griddle until the glaze starts to soften.
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Place the burger on the doughnut half, then add the fried egg. Top with the other doughnut half. Remember to keep the glazed parts on the inside (easier to eat and the glaze melts into the burger).
Voila! Or, grab one at the restaurant for $11 (which includes fries). What beer goes with a doughnut burger, by the way? "I'd pair it with a Due South Caramel Cream Ale ($7)", says Kuscher. Sure beats coffee and a doughnut!
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