ENTER THE SMASH BURGER
No, but really: Try this recipe. It has double the sizzle and plenty of flavour
Sizzle is the best part of the burger. But it’s limited to side A and side B. In-between lurks the granular middle — it’s a lot of ground to cover.
Solved by the genius of math. Remember geometry’s plane — the way it’s all surface, no depth? Applied to the burger it produces infinite sizzle.
Here’s how to work the equation: Divide ground beef by two and, in a hot pan, smash with a spatula. The flattened patty plane browns to a sizzle on side A, sizzle on side B — no middle. Stack patty 1 on patty 2, sandwiching a slice of American cheese.
The result is a four-sided burger with a molten core. How’s that for higher math?
Smashed Burger
MAKES: 1 SERVING NOTE: THIS BURGER DOESN’T HOLD — MAKE ONE AT A TIME.
1 hamburger bun (preferably a Potato Roll) Butter, softened Fixin’s — mayo, mustard, ketchup, onion, tomato, etc. 4 ounces ground beef chuck or other ground beef (not lean) Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 1-ounce slice cheddar cheese
Prep: 10 minutes Cook: 1 minute
1. Toast: Spread inner faces of the bun with butter. Heat a skillet or griddle over medium. Toast bun, butter-side down, until golden, 1-2 minutes.
2. Prep: Set the bun on a plate, open-faced. Pile fixin’s of choice on the bottom bun.
3. Roll: Divide beef and roll into two 2ounce balls. Heat a dry skillet over medium-high.
4. Smash: When skillet is very hot, add the 2 beef balls. Immediately smash each with the back of a stiff metal spatula (use some muscle), creating two very thin patties, each a little wider than the bun. Season each with salt and pepper. Cook until browned on the bottom and a mottled grey/pink on top, about 45 seconds.
5. Flip: Scrape up and flip both patties. Top one with cheese. When the patty bottoms have browned (about 15 seconds) stack the patties so that the cheese is sandwiched in-between. Slide this cheese-filled burger onto the prepared bun. Close bun, squish gently. Burger perfection is yours.
Provenance: This recipe, which uses a technique popularized by the U.S. chain Smash Burger, is adapted slightly from Food 52, which credits food scientist J. Kenji Lopez-Alt and the website Serious Eats.