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Ultra-Smashed Cheeseburgers

Source of Recipe

From "Food52: Simply Genius" by Kristen Miglore


Recipe Introduction

"In under a minute, these burgers become perilously juicy, with an edge-to-edge salty, beefy crust. Yet they defy one of the most notorious myths of burger-making: Never smash down your patties or all the juices will escape! In his Serious Eats column The Food Lab, J. Kenji L�pez-Alt untangles the rule, explaining that if you smash your burger *just once*�as soon as it hits the hot skillet, while the meat and fat are still cold�you maximize points of contact with the raging hot pan and Maillard reaction deliciousness, but there won't be any juices flowing (yet) to lose. Kenji knew this technique was the secret weapon of diners and fast-food chains. 'But I found myself wondering,' he wrote, 'what if I were to take this to the extreme?' So he doubled down on the best part�the crispy, flavorful crust�by dividing his patties in two before smashing the dickens out of both. Maybe best of all, Kenji's ultra-smashed upgrade takes out pretty much all of the guesswork. As long as you have an extremely hot pan and you follow the protocol, this all happens so fast that you don't even need to test anything for doneness, you just need to move."

List of Ingredients

◦ Toppings (mayonnaise, mustard, shredded lettuce, onions, tomatoes, pickles, or nothing�the burger's that good)
◦ 1 soft hamburger bun
◦ 4 ounces good-quality, freshly ground beef chuck
◦ 1 tablespoon soft butter
◦ Salt and freshly ground black pepper
◦ 1 slice melty cheese, such as American


Recipe

Gather all your toppings. Open your bun, leaving the halves connected if possible, to catch spilling juices. Divide your beef into two 2-ounce balls, using a digital scale or eyeballing it. Just before cooking your burger, use a table knife to butter and toast the bun (in a toaster or under the broiler). Lay your toppings on the bottom bun and have it nearby for when your burger is cooked.

Heat a large cast-iron or stainless steel skillet over high heat for 2 minutes. Set your cold balls of beef in the pan at least 2 inches away from each other and the sides of the pan, and immediately smash them down with a stiff metal spatula, using a second spatula if needed to add pressure (the patties should be about � inch thick and slightly wider than your average soft burger bun).

Season the patties generously with a pinch of salt and pepper and let them sear until the bottom are well-browned and the tops are beginning to turn paler pink and gray in spots, about 45 seconds. Using the back side of the stiff metal spatula, carefully scrape the burger patties up from the pan, making sure to get all of the browned bits. Flip the patties and immediately place a slice of cheese over one patty and stack the second directly on top. Immediately lift the burger stack out of the pan with the spatula and set it on your waiting burger bun. Eat. Great with: Salty Coke and potato chips.

Serves 1
(or just make more)






❧ Note�The Best Smash:

If you don't have a good, sturdy spatula for smashing, Food52 commenter Burton D. pre-smashes his patties between layers of wax paper with a rolling pin (a heavy skillet would work, too). You'll still want to press them against the hot pan, but it will take less brute force.