“Don't throw the past away.
You might need it some rainy day.
Dreams can come true again.
When everything old is new again.”
Everything Old Is New Again
Song by Peter Allen ‧ 1974
Another “new” trend seems to have hit the culinary world, smashed burgers. Sorry to burst the bubbles of those who love to follow trends, but smashed burgers are nothing new. Growing up during the 60s and 70s, of the 1900s, a large thin burger on a toasted bun was the norm at any diner, restaurant or hole in the wall, quick bite to eat place. Condiments and other toppings could be added on which created a double fisted filling meal; no forks and knives around as that was too hoity toity.
While many a restaurant, in various states, claim to have created the smashed burger, it is the Dairy Cheer, a diner in Ashland, Kentucky, located in the Appalachian Mountains, which gets the full recognition. The story, traced back to the 1950s, is that a cook, for some unknown reason, decided to use a can of beans to smash out a burger patty while cooking on a grill. Basically, the smashing process creates more surface area for the Maillard reaction, which results in a caramelized, crispy exterior and intense flavor. It was a huge success, and became a new standard for cooking burgers.
Around the 1980s, when life seemed to have become easier and financially sound, people wanted more than the usual standards. Bigger was better, and that included simple items like the hamburger. Instead of thin burgers, restaurants began to create thick burgers, sometimes putting ingredients, like cheese, into the burger’s middle. Now here’s where the joke was on everyone, those thick burgers were actually smaller than the smashed burgers.
Alright, for the math impaired, 1/3 is larger than ¼, but1/3 is smaller than ½; now stay with me here. Smashed burgers are larger in diameter, but smaller in thickness; perfect example is the Whopper at Burger King. Typically, a smashed burger is 1/3 of a pound of meat, however, those thick burgers that cost more were typically only ¼ of a pound. So, folks were eating less for more money; wow, what a bargain…not!
In the 2000s, a new chain restaurant began in Denver, Colorado, Smashburger. The old way of cooking burgers was being reintroduced to diners, and folks were loving it. This has become a popular trend, and even fast-food places, like Sonic Drive-In are riding this train. However, how the smashed burger is created, and cooked, makes a huge difference in texture and taste.
To make a delicious, full of juice and flavor, burger, make sure to use 80/20 ground beef. It will have enough fat to help cook the burger, but not make the burger overly greasy. For a 1/3 lb. burger, measure out 2/3s cup of meat, packed loosely. Place either on a sheet of plastic wrap, or, when I make them, a plastic plate, with another sheet of plastic, or plastic plate on top. Using the heel of one hand, start in the center of the meat and begin pushing it outward in a circular motion. When it feels even, slowly lift off the top plastic; use fingertips to pat the edges of the patty into a circle; the diameter should be about five inches.
Using a long thin spatula (5”x2”, known as an omelet spatula) carefully lift the smashed patty to place on a sheet of wax paper. Continue until all the ground beef has been used up; 2 lbs. of 80/20 will give six burgers. Place the burgers in a plastic freezer bag, place in freezer for 30 minutes to one hour to firm them up before cooking.
Why smash the ground beef patties before cooking? Excellent question. Now that the meat is thin, it will not only cook more quickly, but the Maillard reaction, mentioned before, will immediately begin to take effect. If the patty is thick, cooked on one side, flipped and then smashed, all the flavorful juices will ooze out, and you will end up with a dry burger.
Can you add spices to the ground beef before-hand? Of course, but we do not as we want the full flavor of the beef to be tasted after adding condiments, or fixings like cheese, lettuce, pickles, sliced tomatoes, or oven fried onion rings. Also, make sure to use a good flavored bun, and I highly recommend Sara Lee’s Artesano brand.
Lunch is Served! |
Perfectly Cooked All the Way Through. |
Which is better, stove top nonstick griddle or outdoor barbecue grill? Both methods work just as well. For the griddle, set the stove temperature to medium-high, 350F. Place burgers on griddle and let cook for three minutes; let them sit, no poking! After three minutes, flip them over and let cook for another three minutes. If you want melted cheese on them before serving, flip the burgers once again, place two slices of cheese on top, and let it melt for one minute before removing to serving platter. The shrinkage of the burgers will be about 3/4s of an inch around, so a 5-inch diameter will go down to a 4 and ¼-inch diameter. Sounds like a lot, but that means that all the juicy flavor has been trapped inside the meat itself.
Smashed Burgers Made on Stove Top Grill |
For the barbecue grill, oil the cooking surface with
non-stick spray as you do not want your burgers to stick. Fire it up and get the temperature to 400F,
place burgers down and cook one side for two minutes; do not bring the top down
on the barbecue, leave it open to the air.
Flip the burgers, cook another two minutes. Melted cheese before-hand, follow the same
direction as for the stove top griddle.
Remove to serving platter.
Smashed Burgers Made Two Ways |
Now you have perfectly cooked smashed burgers that can be made at home, and you know exactly what is in them, and the cooking method used. Just in case my directions were not clear, photos of each step will be on the food blog. Smash’em up and enjoy good eating!
Mary Cokenour