Smash Burger

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I love the beefy, medium-rare middle of a plump, juicy burger, the savory depth of well-browned beef is simply unrivaled, especially with melty cheddar cheese....that is what a smash burger is and I love it!

 

I recently discovered a technique that gives me just what I want.  This burger has a thin, verging-on-well-done profile as typical fast-food burgers, as well as their all‑American array of fixings: gooey cheese; creamy, tangy burger sauce; crisp lettuce; sliced tomato; and a brioche bun.

The first step is to form the 94% ground beef into balls no larger than 4 ounces each (any bigger and the flattened patty will comically overhang the edges of the bun). Then you place a ball in a smoking-hot cast iron skillet and—literally, as the name suggests—smash it so that the meat spreads out as much as possible and creates loads of surface area for seasoning and browning. I used a pan covered with foil, to apply pressure straight down on top the burger. Using the spatula gives you a uneven edge. It takes only a minute or two for the crust to form, at which point you flip the patty, cook it just a few seconds longer so that the meat cooks through, slide it onto the bun, and top it with cheese. Since the whole operation goes fast, it’s easy to make more. Just scrape out the browned bits and repeat.

 This was a group project with my son Dustin and daughter in law Amy. Lot's of fun and we all loved the outcome!

 Enjoy! Have fun this Labor day 2020, please stay safe!