Close-up of a beef patty with melted American cheese in a soft burger bun

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Smash Burgers

Name: Smash Burgers
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 4 hamburger buns; 2 tablespoons butter, softened, or as needed; 1 pound ground chuck beef (80% lean); 4 6-inch squares parchment paper; salt to taste; 4 slices American cheese; burger toppings of choice

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About

This smash burger is cooked outdoors, but not on the grate. A cast iron griddle or large skillet goes on top of the grill and heats until it smokes, which gives the beef a flat, very hot surface to crust on while the grill does the heating.

A pound of 80/20 ground chuck makes eight loosely packed two-ounce balls. Loose matters: tightly packed meat will not spread when you press it. Each ball goes onto the griddle under a small square of parchment, which stops the meat sticking to the spatula, and is smashed straight away to a quarter of an inch using two stiff spatulas crossed for leverage. Season with salt only once the patty is down. Two thin patties per burger with American cheese between them, on buns toasted in butter on the same griddle, gives the crust-to-bun ratio the style is known for.

Ingredients

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Burger bun4 hamburger buns
Butter2 tablespoons butter, softened, or as needed
Ground beef1 pound ground chuck beef (80% lean)
Parchment paper4 6-inch squares parchment paper
Saltsalt to taste
American cheese4 slices American cheese
Burger toppingsburger toppings of choice

Recipe

1
Heat an outdoor grill to high and oil the grate lightly. Set a cast iron flat-top griddle or large cast iron skillet on the grate and let it heat until it smokes.
2
Butter the cut sides of the buns and toast them on the griddle until lightly browned, then set them aside.
3
Roll the beef into 8 loose balls of 2 ounces each; packing them tightly stops them spreading when you press. Put a ball on the hot griddle, lay a square of parchment over it so the meat does not stick, and press it straight away to 1/4 inch thick with 2 stiff spatulas crossed over each other for leverage, or with the bottom of a small skillet. Each parchment square can be used for a second patty. Salt the tops.
4
Cook for about 45 seconds, until the edges turn dark brown and the centres are pale pink. Scrape the patties up with a bench scraper or firm spatula, flip them and cover 4 of them with cheese straight away. Give them 15 to 20 seconds more, then stack a plain patty on each cheese-topped one to make 4 double stacks. Put each stack in a bun and add the toppings you like.