A Grand Adventure: Pocket 'o MEAT

Nice, neat little pocket!

I started hearing whispers of it a few weeks before Crabfest. A subtle mention from the local public radio DJ, a snippet of an overheard conversation...and then an all out "you must try this" from a co-worker the closer we got to Crabfest, the annual Ode to Crab that Kodiak puts on every May.

What, pray tell, could I possibly be talking about? The Bruin Burger, baby! Now, the name isn't because Kodiak is a secret enclave of Boston ice hockey fans. It's named after the non-profit who churns out these bad boys every year.

The Sno-Bruins is a non-profit community organization that was founded in 1971, and promotes winter sports, provides safety education, conducts search and rescue operations, and contributes to the charitable needs of the Kodiak community. And from what I've learned, these burgers they make are in pretty high demand, always sell out, and are only available during Crabfest.

So what is this Bruin Burger? It's only a doughy pocket of love! It's basically a deep fried cheeseburger. They combine ground beef and pork, finely diced onions, seasoning, and cheese, wrap it in dough, and deep fry it. The result is a tasty little concoction that I decided would be the perfect hangover food.

Lining up for fatty deliciousness -
Kodiak's finest men in blue included!

Today was the first day of Crabfest, so during my lunch at work, I walked down to the Sno-Bruin booth to get a taste of these burgers I've heard so much about. The Tribal Center where I'm working these days is right on the main drag of downtown, and all the Crabfest festivities take place right across the street on the harbor. (I'll write a separate post all about Crabfest after we go check it out this weekend)

Once I made my way down, I was welcomed to a line that was at least 25 people deep, and I ultimately waited about 20 minutes for my fatty reward. I entertained myself by subtly watching the portly woman in front of me eat a strip of chocolate covered bacon. On a stick. And by "subtly," I mean I tried really hard not to stare. I fully admit to it being a train wreck moment. I couldn't look away. I guess that's an appropriate appetizer to have before scarfing down a fried pocket o' meat.

Don't be afraid of the mustard - it was the perfect addition

The Bruin Burger comes in a nice & neat little pocket of dough, but doesn't stay neat once you get started. This is a good four to five napkin sandwich we've got here. The dough reminded me of an egg roll - crunchy and flaky on the outside, with a little bit of softness on the inside. It was suggested to me that yellow mustard is the condiment to go with for this, so I was sure to grab a few packets on my way back to work.

It tastes exactly like what you would imagine. - Savory, cheesy, and a little bit greasy. In other words, delicious! Not a meal I'd choose to eat on a regular basis, but no doubt a simple, tasty indulgence that's unique and regional to Kodiak. I guess I can check the "Bruin Burger" off of my list!

Ta-ta for now.