Smash literally means “to smash”, and it is a very popular technique in the US to make hamburgers that consist of forming the minced meat discs by crushing them directly on the plate.
The smash burger is a milestone in American fast food, and the origin of most hamburger chains that we all know that, little by little, were abandoning this method in favor of more industrial processes.
The good thing about this recipe is that it can be made perfectly at home, in any pan, starting directly from the minced meat, with much better results than if we buy the hamburgers already made.
The only secret to making your burger really juicy is to use minced meat with at least 20% fat. In the US, good hamburgers usually use a cut known as brisket, which here we can substitute for brisket or any part of the beef with a good proportion of fat. Also, ask your butcher to pass it through the mincer only once.
For the rest, you just need to complete the burger with your favorite bread and garnish. Today we propose a classic cheeseburger, with cheddar cheese, lettuce, pickle, red onion and mayonnaise, but the recipe is the same for any accompaniment you want.
Ingredients
- For 1 unit
- Mince
- 120 g
- Sliced cheddar cheese
- 2
- Sliced pickle
- Purple Onion
- Lettuce
- Mayonnaise
- Hamburger ‘bread
- Butter
- Salt
- Ground black pepper
How to make a smash burger
- Difficulty: Easy
- Total time:10 m
- Elaboration:5 m
- Cooking:5 m
This hamburger cooks very quickly, so we must have all the ingredients prepared before starting to cook. First, divide the 120 g of minced meat into two 60 g balls, which you should shape gently by hand, without compressing the meat. Salt and pepper them generously.
Now prepare the garnish: julienned onion, sliced pickles, well-cut lettuce, mayonnaise, and cheddar or American cheese.
Put a large, flat skillet over high heat, add a little butter, and toast the hamburger buns, until they are golden brown. Arrange them on a plate, spread them with mayonnaise, and, on one side, place the lettuce, onion, and pickle.
In the same pan, place the first ball of minced meat and mash it vigorously with the help of a spatula. You must press hard so that the burger cooks very quickly. Flip when the edges start to crisp (if the heat is strong enough it won’t take much more than a minute). Put a slice of cheese. When it melts, remove the first hamburger and put it on the vegetables. Repeat the operation with the next hamburger. Cover the sandwich and serve immediately.