Smash Burger Recipe
An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott
Recipe Overview
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 3 minutes to grill buns, 3 minutes for burger patties on a large grill
Makes 4 Smash Burgers
Ingredients Needed
- 4 Martin's potato buns
- 8x 60g/2oz patties brisket/chuck mince 80% lean 20% fat, rolled into balls, cold from the fridge
- Salt and pepper
- 4 slices American cheese (sorry non negotiable, no other cheese works as well)
- 60g/2ozs diced white onion
- 4-8 slices pickles sandwich stackers (1-2 per burger)
- 12 pieces jalapeno pickles (3 per burger, optional)
- 1 tomato, cut into 8 thin slices (2 per burger)
- 4 leaves baby cos lettuce, trimmed of the hard stem (1 per burger)
- 4 tablespoons burger sauce (1 tablespoon per burger)
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1 - First toast the buns lightly until golden. Then take a large grill or a large cast iron frying pan and heat to 230C/446F (very hot) and have a large sheet of parchment and the burger smasher ready. Place a 60g/2oz ball on the heat and immediately cover with a sheet of parchment and then smash down making a circular motion so that the patty spreads out. Season well with salt and pepper. Cook for 1.5 minutes exactly. The contact area should be browned and crispy.
Step 2 - Turn over the patty and add cheese on top. Cook for 1 minute more. Remove from the pan or grill and repeat with the remaining patties but doubling up the patties and cheese so that you get a double stack for 4 burgers.
Step 3 - Place a tablespoon or so of onions on each bottom half of the bun. Add the double cheese and beef patties on each. Then add the pickles, jalapenos if using, 2 tomato slices and one lettuce leaf. Spread 1 tablespoon of burger sauce on the top of the bun. Place the top bun on the bottom one.
Step 4 - Take a large square of wax paper around 30x30/12x12inches and fold in half into a triangle. Place the burger on the long side slightly peeking out. Fold over the sides and then the back of the paper to enclose.
Personal Note
I mentioned trying out so many smash burgers in my pursuit of the ultimate smash burger recipe. We ate a lot out but I also tried making them at home. I tried using bought burger patties but these were quite large, around 170g/6ozs and when I doubled it up, it was too much beef and just wasn't balanced. It took me a while to realise that the patties needed for smash burgers were tiny in comparison and around a third of the size. Then I found it hard to find Martin's potato rolls (I eventually found them at the meat emporium) and the last thing that eluded me was the American cheese. No other cheese compares for burgers. I tried a red cheddar cheese and it was terrible and a whole lot of others and none did the burger justice. I realised that I just needed to buy some American cheese which is easier said than done here.
The only place to get it here at the moment is Costco and while I have a membership, it's really far from me. But I decided to combine it with a restaurant visit in the area just so to make the drive worthwhile. I left with plenty of time but then the traffic hit and suddenly I saw my time in Costco shrinking and if you've ever been, you'll know that it isn't the sort of place to duck in and out of quickly.
I hit gridlock in the carpark, circled once and then headed to the floor below. I ran upstairs, swiped my card in and almost turned around as I saw half of Sydney waiting in line for the registers. I ran towards the cheese section and grabbed an enormous 2.2kg/4.8lb packet of American cheese with 120 slices of cheese and somehow managed to find a register with only two people in it. The woman in front of me only had one item and I decided that I would either run the entire way down on the ramp with my cheese or chance it with the slow-as-molasses elevator. As I was leaving I saw the last person getting into the elevator and I slid into the last remaining spot clutching my cheese breathlessly. A woman smiled at me (I must have looked crazy holding onto the cheese for dear life) and as soon as the doors opened on my floor I ran out. I drove the restaurant to meet Laura and ended up arriving 5 minutes early! But at least I had done my exercise with weights for the day!
So tell me Dear Reader, do you try and get special ingredients so that something will taste juuust right? Do you like smash burgers?