SLUG burger

Don’t be disillusioned by the title. It was really good and there is a great story to go with it.

Dorothy and I need to provision the boat with food and other supplies occasionally, as we did today.  Marinas have courtesy cars for boaters to use, you just have to fill the vehicle with fuel before returning the vehicle.  Today Dorothy drove a brand new pick-up truck with 4000 miles on it ( I get to drive the beater cars normally). After grocery shopping we spotted this little unassuming roadside BBQ place, so we naturally had to stop.  After sitting down, the first item on the menu was a Slug burger, then BBQ pork sandwich, followed by hamburger selection.

Ok, so I had to ask what is a Slug burger?

During the Depression years, diner cooks sought to stretch ground beef to get more burgers per pound.  Originally these hamburgers were made using potato flour as an extender.  Today, the beef mixture contains soybean grits.  The slugburger is made into small patties, which are fried in canola oil.  They are traditionally served topped with mustard, dill pickles, and onions on a small 5-inch hamburger bun.

These hamburgers that once cost only 5 cents per hamburger are now selling for $1.20 today.  In the past, nickels were given the nickname of slugs.

In Corinth and the surrounding small towns in Mississippi, slugburgers are still very popular, with an annual Slugburger Festival being held in Corinth, which began in 1988.

I had mine with the traditional onion, pickle, mustard toppings. It tasted great with a side of homemade onion rings.

Shout out to BJ’s BBQ in Iuka, MS. Great service and local conversation.