Jack's Ovens Menu Classics: The Monterey Jack Cheeseburger

At Jack's Ovens, we love changing up our menu and bringing new taste sensations for our customers to enjoy. That said, some items are so consistently popular that they have become nothing less than classics and so they are here to stay. One lip-smacking offering that resides firmly in this category is our Monterey Jack cheeseburger; in this edition of our blog, we look into the history of this unique cheese.

The 18th century was a time of unprecedented immigration into the United States of America. One of the many groups that settled in California during this time was an order of Franciscan friars from Spain, who established numerous missions. In addition to their religion, the friars brought with them a host of new culinary methods and traditions which included cheese-making. 

Their arrival turned out to be an extremely happy coincidence as the region's fledgling dairy industry began experiencing unprecedented growth at around the same time. As the availability of high-quality milk increased and its price came down, local dairy farmers were influenced by the cheese-making methods of the friars and, inspired by the these newly-discovered techniques, began producing what soon became known as 'Monterey Jack'.

Though many farmers were producing the now-iconic cheese, its most well-known commercial seller was entrepreneur David Jacks. First named simply as 'Jack's Cheese', its extensive popularity in the Monterey area of California led to many people referring to it as 'Monterey Jack' and the name stuck.  

Classed as a semi-hard cheese, Monterey Jack is prized for its creamy, super-smooth texture, a quality which makes is absolutely ideal for melting on top of a sizzling burger. It boasts a flavour profile that is rich and complex, offering a taste sensation that combines overall mildness with a unique piquancy that lingers on the tongue in a most delightful way. 

The history of cheeseburgers is not quite so well-defined; it seems likely that many people independently hit upon the idea of adding cheese to a hot meat sandwich at some point in time. The most common cheeseburger origin story credits the invention to Lionel Sternberger who, in 1924 at the age of just 16, was widely regarded as one of the best fry-cooks at his father's sandwich shop (coincidentally, this shop was also located in California, the birthplace and spiritual home of Monterey Jack cheese). In a moment of sheer inspired genius, Sternberger impulsively added a single slice of American cheese to a burger he had just prepared; the customer absolutely loved it and the rest, as they say, is history. 

This edition of our blog has probably made your mouth water but that is nothing compared to the actual aroma of one of our signature Monterey Jack cheeseburgers in the making. And that aroma is nothing compared to the TASTE...  

So what are you waiting for? Come and visit us one lunchtime at our regular pitch outside Strawberry Fields Digital Hub in Chorley. Alternatively, you can request our Monterey Jack cheeseburgers as part of your bespoke menu when you book our gourmet private catering service!