500 g Ground Beef, lean (or regular), divided into 3oz (80 g) portions
Kosher Salt and Black Pepper
Toppings
Iceberg Lettuce, shredded
American Cheese slices
Pickles, sliced
Sweet Onions, thinly sliced
Method
Burger Sauce
Stir together all ingredients for Burger Sauce and set aside.
Lightly butter both top and bottom of burger buns. Over medium heat, toast buns on non-stick skillet (or griddle) until golden brown. Remove from pan and set aside.
Prep burger buns by spreading the Burger Sauce on both top and bottom bun, followed by a headful of lettuce on bottom, then pickles and onions on top bun. Set aside until required.
Smash Burger
Heat a large griddle or cast-iron skillet over medium high heat.
Place one round meat ball on skillet (it should sizzle). Allow to just cook for about 10-15 seconds then flip the ball over, revealing the partially cooked side on top. (This will help to prevent sticking when smashing the burger down.)
Using a heavy-duty metal spatula, smash the patty down until it gets quite thin and then make a smearing motion to release the spatula from the meat. It’s ok if the edges get lacey, they will get crispy and add to the flavour. *Once you have smashed the burger, do NOT continue to smash, or squish as the juices will run out.*
Season the burger patty generously with salt and pepper. Allow to cook for about 2 minutes until edges appear crispy and juices start to form on top.
*Optional step: place a small handful of the thinly sliced onions on top of flattened patty.
Using the spatula, flip the burger (*and onions) over and continue to cook on other side.
Once the burger is about a minute away from being done, place a piece of American cheese on top just so it lightly starts to melt.
Stack patty on top of prepared bottom bun, then flip top bun onto patty. (Or double up the patties for extra juiciness!)
9 hours (includes marinating time)
