I have always been a medium-rare type of hamburger eater. That’s my preferred temperature for any cut of meat that has a temperature option. In the case of smash burgers, I break that rule.
I recall the first time I ordered one in a restaurant and asked for it medium rare. I was advised that that wasn’t an option since the burger patties are thin it’s not possible to control the temperature. It didn’t matter as that burger was so good, I’m still thinking about it.
I had that burger at The Whip Tavern in Coatesville, Pennsylvania. The Whip Tavern (or simply ‘The Whip’) is a great English tavern in the middle of the Chester County countryside. It’s about a 40 minute drive from our house but it’s well worth it for the food, drinks and atmosphere. Their smash burger is The Black Mack and is a sophisticated take on McDonald’s Big Mac. I’ve never actually had a Big Mac but I think I can safely say that this one might be a bit better (and I’ve enjoyed it a few times).
We discovered another good smash burger about five minutes from home at The Valley House in Malvern, Pennsylvania (formerly The Office for my local readers). They have five different options but I never stray from the ‘Cobb’ with bacon, avocado and Gorgonzola (a favorite burger combination of mine). We took my parents there for burgers this summer and they were still talking about them the next time we were together.
Start your smash burger with good quality ground beef (we source it at our local butcher, Worrells) and shape it into balls. Heat a cast iron frying pan or griddle. Flatten each ball directly on the pan or griddle using a hamburger or panni press, stiff spatula, bottom of a heavy saucepan or anything heavy. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook for about two minutes. Flip, sprinkle a bit more salt and pepper, top with a slice of cheese and cook for another minute or two. Add some special sauce and your favorite garnishes. It’s that easy.
Any kind of cheese that melts will work, but I do recommend using American cheese for this recipe (not something you would normally hear me say). Not the kind that comes wrapped in individual plastic wrap – the kind you get at your deli counter. Ed asked for yellow American cheese, but it’s not easy to find and the white tastes just the same. The Whip Tavern even uses American cheese and they’re an English tavern, so it’s good enough for me.
While you could easily just use ketchup and mayonnaise as a sauce, take a few minutes to make this sauce. It’s great on the smash burgers but also makes a good dipping sauce for French fries (regular or sweet potato) or tater tots, so you may want to prepare extra.
Are you a smash burger fan? I’d love recommendations for other places to try.
| Smash Burger | Print |
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon ketchup
- 2 teaspoons sweet relish
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 12 ounces ground beef (preferably 80%)
- 4 American cheese slices
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Sliced tomatoes
- Dill pickle chips
- Red onion slices
- Lettuce leaves
- 2 hamburger buns (optional)
- In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, ketchup and sweet relish. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Sauce can be prepared a day in advance and refrigerated.
- Divide meat into quarters. Shape each quarter into a ball. Do so as efficiently as possible taking care not to overwork the meat. Return to the refrigerator until you’re ready to cook the burgers.
- Preheat a cast iron frying pan or griddle to medium.
- Depending on the size of your pan or griddle, you may need to prepare burgers in batches. (We do two at a time and transfer the cooked burgers to a plate and cover with foil.)
- Add burgers to pan or griddle, put a sheet of parchment paper or wax paper on top of the burger, and immediately flatten using a hamburger or panni press, stiff spatula, bottom of a heavy saucepan or anything that will flatten them into a flat, thin patty.
- Remove parchment paper or wax paper and salt and pepper each burger.
- Cook for 2 minutes on the first side or until seared.
- Using a flexible spatula (to ensure you retain any caramelized parts), flip burgers, salt and pepper, and top with a cheese slice.
- Cook for 1 to 2 minutes on the second side.
- If using a bun, spread some sauce on each side of the bun. Add the first burger with cheese to the bottom of the bun, top with some more sauce, add a tomato slice, dill pickle chip, red onion slice and/or lettuce, top with the second burger, repeat, and top with bun.
- If you’re not using a bun, top the first burger with sauce, add a tomato slice, dill pickle chip, red onion slice and/or lettuce, top with the second burger and repeat.
- Serve immediately.
* I like a piece of cheese on each burger, but you can just put a slice on the first burger and it will still taste great.
1 in 8 Americans have worked in a McDonalds and you haven’t even eaten a Big Mac!?!?!?! I know what I am serving for Thanksgiving!
Ha! No worries – I had plenty of Quarter Pounders in my much earlier years. I always thought a Big Mac was too big.