How to Make Flat Top Style Burgers, Similar to Smashburger and Shake Shack

"Smash" Burger Recipe:

• Link To Video Recipe: https://youtu.be/pIrP5JWQ5P8
• Picture: http://ift.tt/2nlYmtC

So the reason this recipe is amazing is it consistently produces a perfect burger at home without a grill every time. You get a really great crust and the cooking time takes any guess work out of it, so you don't have to guess how long to cook it to get your desired temperature.

Ingredients/Equipment:

• Ground Beef, 3 ounces per patty. (80/20 should be the least amount of fat that you go with. I also like to use ground chuck)
• Pan (Cast Iron or heavy bottom Stainless Steel works best for getting a great crust)
• Stiff and Thin Spatula (preferably Metal)
• Bun / Cheese / Toppings
• Cooking Oil (Canola or Peanut because of high smoke point)

Instructions:

• Step 1: Form the the ground beef into roughly 3 ounce balls. It is important that you very loosely pack them because it allows them to be easily pressed into the pan. If you have them too tightly formed, the end product might curve up and shrink too much.
• Step 2: Roll the meatballs in a generous amount of salt and pepper
• Step 3: Using a paper towel, rub a thin layer of cooking oil on your pan BEFORE turning on the stove. Then set your stove as high as it goes and leave the pan on for a few minutes so it gets extremely hot.
• Step 4: Once the oil just starts to smoke, drop two meatballs (i.e. for two patties) into the pan. Working as quickly as you can, take your flat spatula and forcefully press the ball into a patty. You have about 20 seconds to do this where the meat will still be raw enough that you won't be squeezing the juice out of it.
• Step 5: Using a watch or timer, wait exactly 90 seconds from when you first place the meatball into the pan. After 90 seconds flip the patty making sure to get the spatula fully under it so you don't lose the crust. This is the time to add cheese if you want it
• Step 6: Allow the burger to cook for an additional 60 seconds for medium rare, 75-90 seconds for medium. Remove burger and you are ready to eat!!

The great thing is that the short cooking time allows you to reproduce the burger every time. Check out our video if you want a more in-depth video and to see what each step looks like!

bon appetit