Smash Burgers Recipes

Steps:

• Heat a griddle or large cast-iron skillet over medium heat for at least 10 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the mayonnaise, mustard and pickle brine in a small bowl. Combine the onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a separate small bowl. Set aside.
• Loosely form the beef into 4 balls; set aside. Working in batches, lightly brush the griddle with butter and toast the buns cut-side down until lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
• Brush the griddle with more butter and add 1 ball of beef. Press firmly with 2 large crisscrossed metal spatulas for exactly 10 seconds, then gently remove the spatulas. Sprinkle the patties with some of the seasoning mixture and continue cooking, undisturbed, until well browned, 1 1/2to 2 minutes. (Start cooking another burger at this point.) Flip the patty, sprinkle with more of the seasoning mixture and top with 1 cheese slice. Continue cooking until the cheese is melted around the edges and the bottom of the burger is browned, about 1 more minute. Repeat with the remaining beef.
• Spread the mayonnaise mixture on the bun tops and add some ketchup. Serve the patties on the buns with the pickles, tomato, red onion and lettuce.

Steps:

• Set 2 burners to high and 2 burners to medium on a 36-inch Blackstone® Griddle Cooking Station and preheat for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, stir the ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard and chopped pickle in a small bowl and set aside. Stir the garlic powder, onion powder, 2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a separate small bowl. Set aside.
• Loosely form the beef into 8 balls; set aside. Working in batches, lightly brush butter onto the medium-heat side of the griddle and toast the buns cut-side down until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Flip and keep warm while you cook the burgers.
• Brush butter onto the high-heat side of the griddle and add the onions. Cook, tossing with a metal spatula occasionally, until starting to brown slightly, about 3 minutes. Divide the onions into 4 equal piles, spacing them a couple inches apart. Top each pile with 1 ball of beef. Smash each ball with the back of a spatula or a burger press until the patty is about 1/4 inch thick. Repeat with the remining 4 beef balls directly on the griddle. Season the patties with half the seasoning mixture and continue cooking, undisturbed, until well browned, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Flip the patties, sprinkle with the remaining seasoning mixture and top each plain patty with 1 cheese slice. Continue cooking until the cheese is melted around the edges and the bottoms of the patties are browned, about 1 more minute.
• Spread the ketchup mixture on the bun tops. Fill each bun with 1 onion patty, 1 plain patty, 1 tomato slice, 1 lettuce leaf and some of the onions, if any, that were left on the griddle.

Steps:

• To make your own buns, tip the flour, sugar, yeast and 1 tsp salt into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. With the motor running on medium speed, gradually add the milk, then half the egg. Leave to mix for a few minutes, then add the butter, a little at a time, until the dough is elastic and shiny - about 5 mins. Alternatively, do this in a bowl using an electric whisk.
• Divide the dough into four and roll each piece into a round on a lightly floured surface. Arrange well spaced apart on a baking tray lined with baking parchment. Press down gently to spread them out a little and leave in a warm place for 2 hrs, or in the fridge overnight, until doubled in size.
• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Brush the remaining egg over the buns and scatter with the sesame seeds, if using. Bake for 13-15 mins until risen and golden. Leave to cool. Can be made up to a day ahead.
• For the sauce, stir together all the ingredients and set aside. Can be made up to a day ahead and kept chilled.
• To make the burgers, chill the chuck steak in the freezer alongside the blade and, if it fits, bowl of a food processor for 30 mins until the meat is firm but not frozen solid. Working quickly, tip half the chilled beef into the food processor and pulse eight to 10 times until the meat is minced, being careful not to overwork it. Tip the mince onto a tray and repeat with the remaining steak, then mix both lots together with ½ tsp salt. Divide into four portions and gently form each into a loose patty a bit wider than the buns. Don't overwork it.
• Cook the burgers as soon as possible after forming. Set a large, heavy frying pan over a medium heat. Split the buns and toast, cut-side down, in the pan (you may need to do this in batches). Remove to a plate, then sear the burgers, pressing them down with a spatula as they cook, for 4-5 mins on each side for medium rare or 6-7 mins for medium. Top with cheese, if you like, after flipping them. When the burgers are cooked, assemble as preferred with the buns, toppings of your choice and the burger sauce.

Steps:

• Add oil or butter to a large cast-iron or stainless-steel skillet and place over medium heat. Gently divide ground beef into 8 small piles of around 4 ounces each, and even more gently gather them together into orbs that are about 2 inches in height. Do not form patties.
• Increase heat under skillet to high. Put half the orbs into the skillet with plenty of distance between them and, using a stiff metal spatula, press down on each one to form a burger that is around 4 inches in diameter and about 1/2 inch thick. Season with salt and pepper.
• Cook without moving until patties have achieved a deep, burnished crust, a little less than 2 minutes. Use the spatula to scrape free and carefully turn burgers over. If using cheese, lay slices on meat.
• Continue to cook until meat is cooked through, approximately a minute or so longer. Remove burgers from skillet, place on buns and top as desired. Repeat process with remaining burgers. Serving two hamburgers on a single bun is not an outrageous option.