Heming 2 Ways
Hemingway's real hamburger recipe — found in the JFK Presidential Library archives — made two ways: the Papa Burger as Hemingway typed it, and the Wild West Burger with additions scrawled in the margins by his wife Mary.
The Man Behind the Burger
Ernest Hemingway. Nobel Prize winner. One of the most influential writers of the twentieth century. He gave us The Old Man and the Sea, For Whom the Bell Tolls, and a writing style so stripped back it changed how the English language sounds on the page.
He drove ambulances in the First World War, survived two plane crashes in two consecutive days, ran with bulls in Pamplona, hunted big game in Africa, caught marlin off the coast of Cuba, and kept a house full of six-toed cats. He also had four wives and a cocktail named after him.
In short, he led a maximalist life. And his approach to food was no different.
The Recipe
Hemingway’s personal hamburger recipe — found in the archives of the JFK Presidential Library — is packed with over a dozen ingredients. His wife Mary then scrawled her own additions in the margins. Two very different burgers. Both very much on brand.
The Papa Burger follows Hemingway’s typed recipe to the letter: freshly minced chuck steak, homemade spice blends (Beau Monde, Mei Yen), capers, white wine, and piccalilli. The Wild West Burger uses the same base but adds Mary’s contributions — grated apple, carrot, cherry tomatoes, ham, and cheddar.
Verdict
The Wild West Burger is wetter, more confused, and surprisingly hard to taste any individual addition in. The Papa Burger is the winner — especially dressed with burger sauce, gherkins, and American cheese. But is it better than a regular burger given all the effort? No. No it isn’t.
Recipes from this Episode
Heming 2 Ways
Hemingway's real hamburger recipe from the JFK Presidential Library archives, made two ways — the Papa Burger as he typed it, and the Wild West Burger with additions scrawled in the margins by his wife Mary.