The Legendary Montana Burger That's Only Available 4 Days Out Of The Year

The annual Wild Horse Stampede in Wolf Point, Montana is the oldest rodeo in the state and a favorite for professional rodeo riders and attendees. The event is packed with rodeo competitions, and classic fair food options are plentiful. But unquestionably, one of the biggest draws to the Stampede is the famous Montana Catholic Burger. From 11 am on Thursday to 3 pm on Sunday, the lines for the Catholic Burger snake around the rodeo grounds and, during a single Stampede, the stand can go through half a ton of beef and serve up to 10 thousand burgers, according to Montana Talks. 

Despite its name, the Pope doesn't seem to have blessed the burger — at least not yet. The name has more to do with the Immaculate Conception Catholic Parish, whose volunteers introduced the Catholic Burger to the public in 1936. The parish came up with the idea of selling the burgers at a church fundraiser, and as the burger grew in popularity, the parish set up concession stands in different Wolf Point locations each year. The church began selling Catholic Burgers at the Stampede in 1946, and it's been an annual tradition ever since. But what on earth makes a Catholic Burger so heavenly delicious? Sure, the burgers are cooked with love by the Catholic (and a few Lutheran) volunteers, but it's the topping that gets people craving a Catholic Burger.

The secret to the Catholic Burger's success? Caramelized onions grilled in pickle juice. For years, a crew of parish ladies gathered on "Onion Day" to peel and slice upwards of 1,000 pounds of Walla Walla onions, one of the sweetest types of onion. Many teary-eyed Onion Days later, they switched to an electric slicer but are now buying pre-sliced fresh onions. The parish hasn't released an official recipe, but it's likely that the onions are sliced and separated into rings, then sauteed in a little oil. Once they've started to caramelize, pickle juice is gradually added until the onions are fully browned. 

The parish volunteers used to measure out the burgers with an ice-cream scoop and smash them flat with a juice can, but because there's always such high demand for Catholic Burgers, they currently use pre-made frozen beef patties instead. Once the burgers are grilled, the onions are piled on, followed by American cheese, pickles, tomato, and lettuce. Although there doesn't seem to be anything particularly special about the actual burger itself, the church's organizer for the event claims that it's the onions that make the burger so tasty. Since the Catholic Burgers are only available for four days per year, it might be worth it to trek to next year's Wolf Point Stampede to try one yourself.