Smashburgers

Even if this burger doesn’t go exactly according to plan, you’ll likely end up with something wonderful. But if you’re striving for perfection, the two most important things to me are the onions (slice them thinly– use a mandolin if you must), and the spatula (it should be strong, sturdy, unbendable). Listed below are the toppings in the video, but if you are a special sauce person or a ketchup person or a no-onions person, please, customize away, just let me make my mustard burger in peace.

YIELD — 4 burgers

Ingredients

• 12 oz ground beef (85/15) or ground impossible/ beyond

• Kosher salt

• 1 large yellow onion, very thinly sliced

• ½ head iceberg lettuce, pulled into sheets

• 2 kosher dill pickles, thinly sliced

• 4 slices american cheese

• 4 buns of your choice

• Yellow mustard

• Potato chips of your choice

• More pickles, sliced lengthwise into spears

Directions

1. Divide meat of your choice into 4–5 pieces (approximately 3–4 ounces each), rolling each gently into a little ball. I like to do this on a sheet tray, especially if doing a lot at once. 

2. Meanwhile, heat a large cast iron skillet over high heat until very, very hot. 

3. Toast bun in skillet until lightly golden. Heat the bottom of the spatula for a few seconds on the hot pan, then add patty (two if there’s room) to the skillet and smash it with the spatula until it’s very thin. Cook, without moving it, until it’s very crispy and browned. Add some onions to the patty, press them in with the spatula, then flip. Add a slice of American cheese to the top of each patty and continue to cook until the cheese is melted and the onions on the bottom are nice and griddled. Repeat this process with the remaining patties. If you’re making a lot of burgers, carefully wipe your skillet between batches to avoid any super burnt pieces.

4. Assemble the burgers to your liking. The HM order of operations is mustard on bottom bun, pickles, patty, more raw onion on top, sheet of iceberg, top bun.