What if you were in Mosta, checking out the Rotunda, and you’re suddenly hit by an unending burger ache? There’s no NYB or Sea Salt around, so what do you do?
Mosta is not a well-known pitstop in the local burger scene, and until 2018 there was no easy fix to our burger-hunger problem. That’s until Cheese & Cuts opened its door adjacent to the B4 Group. Amongst the countless cheeses, salty salumi and sparkling bottles of Spanish wine, we can also spot a burger offering. Will it be so good, as people have been telling us, to justify our trip to the town with a church featuring one of the largest unsupported domes in the world?
The C&C burger features a patty made from 200gr of Black Angus ribeye. In the very middle, there’s 40gr of Scamorza cheese. Yes, this is one of those cheese-stuffed burgers that ooze cheesy goodness with every bite, which you may also know as Juicy Lucy. This patty is pan-seared & finished in the oven. As the patty cooks, the cheese melts, with the effect of keeping the beef near the centre of the burger very juicy. Since there’s no cheese on top of the patty, there’s also a cunning separation between beef and bun, resulting in a different texture than your usual cheeseburger. The ribeye comes from the rib section of the cow, and it’s often considered as one of the best cuts of meat. There’s an abundance of marbling, ribbons of fat that melt into the lean parts as it cooks, delivering that rich beef flavour we all love. This fat marbling does not only create the robust buttery flavour but it also enhances the beef’s tenderness. The patty is full of morsels of goodness and has a smooth, fine texture and is exceptionally beefy. It’s also seasoned adequately, with all the juiciness a good burger should have. The cheese inside the patty is there by no accident. Scamorza has excellent melting qualities, making it a much welcome choice than standard American cheese. This is a typical semi-soft white Italian cheese with a texture comparable to that of a firm, dry Mozzarella. Indeed the cheese-making process is somewhat similar to that of Mozzarella, but the different process of two-week ripening has given Scamorza its name. The texture of Scamorza is elastic with a flavour that is piquant, milky and creamy.
The beef is topped with smoked pancetta, which is gloriously crispy and has a nice salty crunch that elevates the overall burger flavours tenfold. Pancetta is the belly of the pig originating from the Northern parts of Italy. It’s similar to bacon, but is dry cured and then smoked. So how come this burger is infused with all these Italian ingredients? At C&C, the man with the pan comes from Palermo and goes by the name of Rosario. He’s been working in and out of kitchens for the past 15 years. Now that makes much sense! The scent of sizzling pancetta can be detected by us from a range that would put a bloodhound to shame! There’s a good way and a wrong way how to present bacon in a burger. We don’t want to see any of that flaccid, chewy and greasy bacon that the likes of Shoreditch are coming up with lately. We want the good bacon, that ethereally crispy porky pot of gold at the end of the bacon rainbow. And that is the level of pancetta we have here, the kind we reminisce from the last time we visited the Dorchester.
All the meat elements are enclosed in a brioche bun which works wonders with the simple flavours of this burger. The veggie element comes in the form of the classic lettuce & 3 slices of tomatoes. Lettuce acts as a good barrier between the beef and bread to prevent the toasted bun from getting soggy. But more importantly, tomatoes and lettuce are extremely high in water, leading to an overall moister bite. The burger comes with no fries, but you can opt for a side of crusted potatoes, which are boiled & oven baked.
Cheese & Cuts have come up with a very respectable Italianised twist on the Juicy Lucy. It didn’t disappoint and is a solid offering worth visiting Mosta for. We hope that C&C keeps going at it, with even more variety of burgers, to hold up the flag high for the Mosta burger scene.
