Meet Dustin Sobolik

Dustin is the Investment Officer at Heartland Trust Company. He oversees investment research, meets with analysts, and does much of the financial planning for our clients.

Tell us about yourself.

I’m a north Fargo native and attended Minnesota State University Moorhead from 2007 to 2011. I guide discussions in our Investment Committee and have a mild obsession with statistics and analytics. Aside from working with clients, a large portion of my role revolves around conducting research and meeting with outside analysts.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

I spend time with my wonderful girlfriend and get outdoors as much as possible during the summer. In the last couple years, I’ve made an effort to travel, kayak, camp, and bike more; so I’ve been trying to get out to the nearby state parks as much as I can (Glendalough is becoming a fast favorite). International travel is something I’ve been fortunate enough to do recently. I’ve been to Canada, the Czech Republic, Japan, Hungary, Spain, and Austria to name a few. I’ll be visiting Germany, Switzerland, and Italy in the near future as well. I also like to cook and experiment in the kitchen, as you will see from my recipe below.

How long have you been at Heartland Trust Company?

I’ve been at Heartland Trust Company for three-and-a-half years and worked in investment finance for roughly seven years. Prior to joining Heartland Trust Company, I worked at a major broker-dealer and a boutique Registered Investment Advisor in similar roles.

What is your favorite part about working at Heartland Trust Company?

My favorite part about working at Heartland Trust is the amount of input all employees have. I don’t know how many clients are aware of that. We’re all encouraged to speak up and give our thoughts on how we can improve the business and the client experience. It sounds corny, but there isn’t an “I” in Heartland Trust Company. We’re very much a “we” and “us” oriented company that strives to work as a team. That kind of mentality doesn’t usually fly in a large corporate banking environment where executives and management issue edicts and you’re expected to follow them without adding any opinions or insight. That business model runs contrary to our core values.

Recipe – The Best Pan-Fried Burgers

About a month ago, I set out to cook the best stovetop burger possible. I’m going to come out there and say this isn’t exactly the most time- or cost-effective recipe. It involves grinding your own (fresh) meat and a lot of time.

Ingredients

• Homemade ground beef (50% sirloin, 25% brisket, 25% short rib; at Costco this combination came out to about $7.30 per pound.)
• Miscellaneous toppings (shredded iceberg lettuce, tomato, pickles, onion, etc.)
• Potato buns
• Cheese (Something melty and not too funky – I used cheddar.)
• Condiments (ketchup, mayo, mustard, special sauce, etc.)
• Cast iron pan
• 2 tablespoons butter
• Mayonnaise (for buns)
• Salt and pepper (to taste)

Procedure

• • Place all of your meat grinding components in the freezer for an hour or so; then place all of the meat you’re about to grind in the freezer for 10-20 minutes. This will prevent the meat grinder from getting clogged with gristle.
  • Chop and prep your toppings. Slice your lettuce, tomato, pickles, and finely mince or chop your onion. After this, cover the underside of the buns with mayonnaise and toast them in the cast iron pan. Don’t like mayonnaise? Don’t worry about it. You won’t taste it. Promise. It’ll just brown and toast the patties. If you still don’t believe me, you can substitute butter here if you’d like, but I’m partial to mayo. I think it yields a better texture. Place any toppings you can feasibly place beforehand onto the buns. Lettuce goes on the bottom or your burger will slide around like an air hockey puck.
  • Grind the meat and LOOSELY arrange it into ¼-lb. patties. DO NOT SEASON THE MEAT WHEN YOU GRIND IT. If you salt them prior to cooking, your patties will become rubbery. The loose arrangement helps the fat and cheese stay in the nooks and crannies of the patty. Don’t like grease or fat? Too bad, sacrifices must be made for the sake of flavor. Season the patties generously with salt and pepper. Place the butter in the cast iron pan and place the patties on top. After 1 to 2 minutes, season the other side of the patties and flip them. Place either finely minced or sliced onion on top, then cover the patties with your selected cheese. At this point, you’ll want to cover the pan so the cheese melts as much as possible. Once a minute or two has elapsed, place the burger on the bun and add any additional toppings you like. I have a strict preference for three pickles on top, but to each their own.
  • After this, you should have one tasty, juicy burger. Yes, it’s expensive and borderline impractical, but it produced the best burger of my life. And it’s still cheaper than what you would get at a restaurant.