Zachariah's Shack Burger

Name: Zachariah's Shack Burger
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 500g ground beef, 80/20; 1 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp black pepper; 1/2 cup mayo; 1 tbsp ketchup; 1 tbsp yellow mustard; 1/2 tsp paprika; 1/2 tsp garlic powder; 2 tbsp finely chopped pickles; 2 brioche buns (very soft, optionally steamed); 4 slices American cheese; 2 slices tomato; freshly cracked black pepper; 2 leaves lettuce

9.1community · 3 votes9.1BM score

9.1

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About

Back to reality. This is the proper diner burger. Soft brioche, aggressive smash, double cheese, fresh tomato and lettuce, and a classic American sauce that carries the whole thing. Nothing weird, just balanced, juicy, and exactly what you want a cheeseburger to be. This burger should look clean and classic. Soft bun slightly compressed, cheese melting over the patty, tomato juicy with visible black pepper on top. Serve hot, wrapped or cut in half so the layers stay tight but visible. It scored 9.1 out of 10 here, and readers have voted on it 3 times since. The full method runs to 6 steps below. Read the whole thing once before you start: a couple of the steps overlap and it saves a burnt batch.

Ingredients

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patty

Ground beef500g ground beef, 80/20
Salt1 tsp salt
Black pepper1/2 tsp black pepper

sauce

Mayonnaise1/2 cup mayo
Ketchup1 tbsp ketchup
Yellow mustard1 tbsp yellow mustard
Paprika1/2 tsp paprika
Garlic powder1/2 tsp garlic powder
Dill pickle2 tbsp finely chopped pickles

assembly

Brioche bun2 brioche buns (very soft, optionally steamed)
American cheese4 slices American cheese
Tomato2 slices tomato
Black pepperfreshly cracked black pepper
Iceberg lettuce2 leaves lettuce

Recipe

1
Start with the sauce so it has time to come together. Mix 1/2 cup mayo, 1 tbsp ketchup, 1 tbsp mustard, 1/2 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, and 2 tbsp finely chopped pickles. Stir well and put it in the fridge.
2
Divide the beef into 4 balls, about 120 to 125g each. Keep them loose, don’t compress them. Tight patties lose that juicy texture you want from a smash burger.
3
Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat until it’s almost smoking. Place a beef ball down and smash it hard to about 1/2 inch thick. Season with salt and pepper. Let it cook untouched for 2 to 3 minutes until you get a deep brown crust.
4
Flip the patty and immediately add 2 slices of American cheese. Cook for another 1 to 2 minutes until the cheese is fully melted. If needed, add a small splash of water and cover for 20 to 30 seconds to help it melt evenly.
5
Toast the brioche buns cut-side down on a pan over medium heat for about 60 seconds until lightly golden. If you want them extra soft, you can steam them briefly for 30 seconds instead of toasting.
6
Build the burger. Bottom bun, generous layer of sauce, then the hot patty with double cheese, then a slice of tomato. Season the tomato with freshly cracked black pepper right here, don’t skip it. Add lettuce, spread more sauce on the top bun, and close it.