Classic smash burgers
Two thin smashed patties per burger with crisp, lacy edges, melted American cheese, pickles, onion and a tangy burger sauce on soft potato buns.
- Prep
- 6 min
- Cook
- 11 min
- Serves
- 2
- Per serve
- 900 kcal
Ingredients
Method
Stir together the mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard and relish for the burger sauce. Divide the beef into 4 loose balls of about 85 g (3 oz) each without packing them tight, and keep them in the fridge while you slice the onion. Cut a square of parchment paper for smashing.
Butter the cut sides of the buns. Heat a large cast-iron skillet or griddle over medium heat for 2 minutes, then toast the buns cut side down until golden, about 1 minute. Set aside and spread the bottoms with sauce.
Turn the heat to high and let the empty skillet get very hot, until a drop of water skitters and vanishes.
Add 2 beef balls, well spaced. Lay the parchment on one, smash it down hard and thin (about 1/4 inch) with a sturdy spatula, then repeat with the other. Season with salt and pepper and cook without moving until the edges are deep brown and lacy.
Scrape under each patty with the spatula to keep the crust and flip. Top each with a slice of cheese and cook until the cheese melts and the patties are cooked through with no pink left. Stack one on top of the other and move to a bun bottom.
Repeat with the remaining 2 balls for the second burger, wiping out excess fat if the pan is smoking hard.
Finish each burger with pickles, sliced onion and the top bun. Serve straight away.
Tips
- Smash in the first 15 seconds while the beef is still cold and soft. Once it starts to cook it won't spread, and you lose the lacy edges.
- A thin, stiff metal spatula is the key tool. Press with your other hand on top of it, or use a second spatula, to get the patties really thin.
- No potato buns? Any soft, squishy bun works better here than a crusty one.
