Smashburgers are top of the pops this summer. The concept is simple (ball, smash, repeat) but we tapped Chef Kyle Oliver of
Super Smash Burger for some tips to nail those perfectly crispy, meat lace edges.
Starting with the meat (obvs).
Use a high-quality beef with a good fat content - something around 80/20 lean to fat. I use the Grass-fed & Finished Ground Beef from Cream Co.
Onions?
Sliced thin and smashed into the burger on the griddle.
Griddle of choice?
I would say the most popular griddle is a Blackstone. They have everything from a 17" electric or gas griddle up to a 36" gas griddle on wheels. My personal griddle is by LA Taco Carts.
Do you have a fave smasher?
I’ve seen everything from the bottom of a stainless steel pot to a concrete trowel used. Get creative. Personally, I use the Sasquash by Burger Iron.
So about those crispy edges?
Use a HOT griddle! You want it somewhere between 390° - 420°. I recommend getting a cheap instant read laser thermometer so you don't have to guess on the temp.
I really put full strength into each smash. The patty will naturally tighten up and get thicker as it cooks. Pressing hard helps reduce that. You can use parchment paper between the patty and smasher to prevent sticking.
Don’t flip the patty too soon. You are cooking it mainly on one side. Searing that side and making it crispy on that hot griddle is the goal here. You know you’re ready to flip when the meat is almost cooked through with very little to no pink.
Use a very thin metal spatula to scrape and get under that edge before flipping.
Once flipped, cook the patty on that side no longer than 1 minute, ideally 30 seconds or less, just enough to put cheese(optional) on and melt it. A proper smash burger should be well done in my opinion. It’s all about the crust.
Kyle & Jessica smashing for Team Cream 💪