Classic Smash Burger
Section 1.00 — Summary & References
1.01 — Summary
Description
A quick & simple smash burger.
Origin
The BA (Bon Appétit) Smash Burger. Source here.
Author: Adam Rapoport
I used this as a base for the classic smash burger, but made some modifications to the process order & meat seasoning/saucing.
1.03 — Estimated Processing Time & Servings
Estimated Processing Time
The estimated processing time for both current & future state.
Current State: 8–10 mins
Future State: 10–30 mins
Estimated Servings
The amount of meat noted below should make around 7–8 patties.
1.04 — Version Control Table & Contributions
Section 2.00 — Ingredients, Tools, and Pre-requisite Knowledge
2.01 — Ingredients
Here’s a cooking measures conversion tool, if required.
2.02 — Tools Required
- A plate, or other surface on which to season the meat
- A large frying pan
- A spatula
- A small spoon
- A steak press (optional, recommended)
- Tongs (optional)
2.03 — Pre-requisite Knowledge
No special skills required here. You’ll be frying meat and toasting bread.
2.04 — Mistakes Made
No mistakes were made during the making of these burgers (so far).
Section 3.00 — The Current State Process
The recipe in its original form with [my comments] as a business analyst.
[If toasting buns, I recommend doing that first] Heat a cast-iron griddle or large heavy skillet [any frying pan will do, non-stick is a good idea] over medium-high until very hot, about 2 minutes, then lightly brush with vegetable oil. Divide ground beef into 4 equal portions [I found 1lb of ground beef to be enough for 7–8 patties, but I prefer smaller portions of meat] (do not form patties [when making a typical burger, it’s common to firmly shape the beef into patty form]).
Working in batches if needed, place portions on griddle and smash flat with a spatula [I’ve had issues with the meat sticking when smashing immediately — I modified the process slightly to help prevent this] to form 4"-diameter patties (craggy edges are your friend). Season liberally with salt and cook, undisturbed, until outer edges are brown, about 2 minutes. Flip patties, season with salt, and place a slice of cheese on top of each patty. Cook until cheese droops and burgers are medium-rare, about 1 minute.
Serve patties on rolls with ketchup, mayonnaise, lettuce, and pickles. [Put anything you want on it or eat with no toppings, all options are delicious].
Section 4.00 — The Future State Process
4.01 — Process Model
4.02 — Process Summary
Here’s the short version.
- If using your oven to toast the buns, preheat to [350°F] now
- Gather the tools & ingredients
- Butter & toast buns
- [Medium/High] Heat the frying pan
- Loosely form the meat into balls, about ½ cup at a time
- Season the top of each ball with salt & pepper
- [Medium/High] 1–2 tbsp of oil in the hot pan
- [Medium/High] Place the seasoned side of meat down in the pan, then salt & pepper the top side
- [Medium/High] After about 10 seconds, use tongs to flip the ball to the other side
- [Medium/High] Smash
- [Medium/High] Apply mustard and after about 1 minute, flip
- [Medium/High] Cook for 1 minute more, then serve
4.03 — Process Detail
Step 1.00 — Preheat the Oven
If you have a toaster or toaster oven which will — without squishing — fit your rolls, then you can skip the following and decide for yourself when to toast your buns.
If using an oven to toast your buns, preheat to 350°F now.
Step 1.01 — Gather the Tools & Ingredients
Gather the tools & ingredients required.
Note that cheese is of course not required, but often used. Classic American sliced cheese is the most common.
Step 1.02 — Toast the Buns (if using the oven)
Once the oven is preheated, place them in the oven directly on the rack. If buttering them, ensure that the buttered side is face up to prevent the butter from dripping & burning.
Since I chose not to butter my buns, I just placed the inside of the bun face down:
Note that we are toasting the buns so that the bread is a bit more sturdy and this will help to avoid sogginess. Because of this, we don’t need them to be hot & fresh out of the oven when serving. Completing this part of the process ahead of time will prevent any burning mishaps either due to forgetfulness or because you are preoccupied with frying meat on the stovetop. Taking this approach will of course add to the overall processing time, so perform in parallel if you are confident enough that you will not forget. The toasted buns should look similar to below, though its really based on your personal preference:
Step 1.03 — Preheat the Frying Pan
Begin to heat your frying pan with nothing in it, setting the stove element to a [Medium/High] setting. The pan should be fairly hot when the meat is eventually placed in the pan.
Step 1.04 — Form & Season the Patties
Grab about ½ cup of ground beef at a time and create a loosely formed ball (do not pack the meat together tightly), until all meat has been used.
Wash your hands, then season the tops of the formed meat balls with salt & pepper:
Step 1.05 — Add & Distribute the Oil
With your pan still on [Medium/High], place 1–2 tbsp of your oil or butter of choice into the pan, then shake/turn the pan as needed to distribute it evenly:
Step 1.06 — Add the Meat & Season the Other Side
Notice of Urgency: We are about to apply heat to the first side of the meat — we will only cook this side for about 10–15 seconds before cooking, so I recommend reading the next few steps so that you are prepared to flip when necessary.
Using your tongs (or hands), place 1–2 of the meat balls (with the seasoned side down, touching the metal) into the pan. Depending on the size of your pan and smashing implement, you may be able to do more — just batch accordingly. My pan is not too large, while the steak press I use is — so I prefer to do one at a time.
Immediately after placing in the pan, season the face up/unseasoned side with salt & pepper:
Step. 1.07 — Flip & Smash
After about 10–15 seconds in the pan, use your tongs (or a spoon/fork/whatever is laying around) to flip each ball in the pan. The initial sear was just to help prevent the meat from sticking to the spatula when smashed.
Once flipped, quickly smash the burger to your desired thickness, I go for about ½–¾ inch.
Step 1.08 — Add the Mustard & Flip
Once smashed, squirt about 1 tablespoon of yellow mustard on top, then spread evenly using the back side of a spoon:
Allow for about 1 minute of total cooking time before flipping to cook the side with mustard.
Step 1.09 — Finish Cooking
Once flipped, cook the other side for about another minute, then remove from the pan — scraping the bottom closely as the mustard & crispy bits can sometimes stick. Throw on your bun and top as desired. I used just Ketchup and blue cheese dip:
