We busted the myth about squishing your burger… Here’s a great burger that proves squishing is good and gives you a delicious, juicy burger.
THE ULTIMATE SMASH BURGER: OKLAHOMA ONION BURGER
You can do this the traditional way on a griddle or, if you don’t have a griddle, you can do this in a frying pan. It spatters, so put the frying pan on the grill.
MAKES 2 burgers; 20 minutes to prep, 20 minutes to cook
SPECIAL TOOLS Griddle, wide spatula with a sharp edge to get under the patty without leaving meat on the metal (I bought a heavy spatula and ground it to a sharp edge), and as with all griddling, an infrared gun thermometer and a dome are helpful.
1 stick (4 ounces) butter
1/2 pound coarsely ground beef chuck (80% lean)
1/2 pound yellow or white onions
2 old-fashioned hamburger buns
2 tablespoons tallow (beef fat), clarified butter, or vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon Morton Coarse Kosher Salt
1/2 teaspoon medium-grind black pepper
2 American cheese singles
8 dill pickle chips
1 PREP. Take the butter out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature. Divide the beef into 2 equal portions and make them into 4-ounce balls. Peel the onions, slice them in half, cut off the ends, and then slice the onions as thin as possible. If you have a mandoline, use it. Dividethe onions into two piles, each about 3 ounces.
2 FIRE UP. Fire up the griddle to about 375°F as measured with an infrared gun. If you don’t have one, a few drops of water on the griddle should dance around and vaporize rapidly. You will need to work fast, so make sure you take all the ingredients and tools out with you.
3 TOAST THE BUNS. Put a light coat of softened butter on the cut side of each bun and place them cut side down on the griddle. Press them down with your spatula to make sure they are intimate with the hot metal and brown evenly. After a minute check to see how they’re doing. When they are golden to light brown, set them aside.
4 COOK THE BURGERS. Put 1 tablespoon of beef fat for each burger about 6 inches apart on the griddle. When it has melted, place the underside of your spatula in the fat so it is greased on one side. Slap each ball of meat onto the oiled metal, and pile the onions on top so you can’t see any meat. Smash down on the onions and meat with the spatula until each patty is about 4 inches in diameter. Tilt the spatula and work the edges so they are as thin as possible. If some onions hang over, that’s OK. Sprinkle the salt and pepper on top. Let the patties cook for a few minutes until the edges turn browned and crispy.
5 FLIP THE BURGERS. Work the spatula gently under the edges of the patty all around, pressing hard against the griddle until the burger lifts free. Try not to leave any of that hard-earned Maillard behind. Flip the burgers so the onions end up underneath. A second spatula comes in handy to help with this, or just place your hand on the onions to hold them in place. They’re not too hot. Place the top buns on top of the meat and leave them there for a minute until they steam and warm and absorb onion and beef aromas.
6 ADD THE CHEESE AND SERVE. Lift the buns, place the cheese on the burgers, and if you have a dome or a pan, place that over the burgers to help melt the cheese. Otherwise just close the lid. When the onions are good and caramelized and the cheese is melted, place the bottom buns on top of the cheese, and then flip the burgers onto the bottom buns cheese side down. Add the pickle slices on top of the onions, then place the top buns on, and slide the whole thing onto serving plates. Some folks in Oklahoma put mustard on their burgers, but that masks the meat and onion flavors too much for me.
My new book, The Meathead Method, is out May 13. The great Alton Brown said it is “The only book on outdoor cookery you’ll ever need.”
You can pre-order on Amazon at tinyurl.com/meatheadmethod.
If you buy a copy, take a selfie with the book when it arrives, post it on your favorite social media channels, send a link to [email protected] I’ll send you a link where you can download our new eBook on Heavenly Hamburgers.
THE ULTIMATE SMASH BURGER: OKLAHOMA ONION BURGER
You can do this the traditional way on a griddle or, if you don’t have a griddle, you can do this in a frying pan. It spatters, so put the frying pan on the grill.
MAKES 2 burgers; 20 minutes to prep, 20 minutes to cook
SPECIAL TOOLS Griddle, wide spatula with a sharp edge to get under the patty without leaving meat on the metal (I bought a heavy spatula and ground it to a sharp edge), and as with all griddling, an infrared gun thermometer and a dome are helpful.
1 stick (4 ounces) butter
1/2 pound coarsely ground beef chuck (80% lean)
1/2 pound yellow or white onions
2 old-fashioned hamburger buns
2 tablespoons tallow (beef fat), clarified butter, or vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon Morton Coarse Kosher Salt
1/2 teaspoon medium-grind black pepper
2 American cheese singles
8 dill pickle chips
1 PREP. Take the butter out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature. Divide the beef into 2 equal portions and make them into 4-ounce balls. Peel the onions, slice them in half, cut off the ends, and then slice the onions as thin as possible. If you have a mandoline, use it. Dividethe onions into two piles, each about 3 ounces.
2 FIRE UP. Fire up the griddle to about 375°F as measured with an infrared gun. If you don’t have one, a few drops of water on the griddle should dance around and vaporize rapidly. You will need to work fast, so make sure you take all the ingredients and tools out with you.
3 TOAST THE BUNS. Put a light coat of softened butter on the cut side of each bun and place them cut side down on the griddle. Press them down with your spatula to make sure they are intimate with the hot metal and brown evenly. After a minute check to see how they’re doing. When they are golden to light brown, set them aside.
4 COOK THE BURGERS. Put 1 tablespoon of beef fat for each burger about 6 inches apart on the griddle. When it has melted, place the underside of your spatula in the fat so it is greased on one side. Slap each ball of meat onto the oiled metal, and pile the onions on top so you can’t see any meat. Smash down on the onions and meat with the spatula until each patty is about 4 inches in diameter. Tilt the spatula and work the edges so they are as thin as possible. If some onions hang over, that’s OK. Sprinkle the salt and pepper on top. Let the patties cook for a few minutes until the edges turn browned and crispy.
5 FLIP THE BURGERS. Work the spatula gently under the edges of the patty all around, pressing hard against the griddle until the burger lifts free. Try not to leave any of that hard-earned Maillard behind. Flip the burgers so the onions end up underneath. A second spatula comes in handy to help with this, or just place your hand on the onions to hold them in place. They’re not too hot. Place the top buns on top of the meat and leave them there for a minute until they steam and warm and absorb onion and beef aromas.
6 ADD THE CHEESE AND SERVE. Lift the buns, place the cheese on the burgers, and if you have a dome or a pan, place that over the burgers to help melt the cheese. Otherwise just close the lid. When the onions are good and caramelized and the cheese is melted, place the bottom buns on top of the cheese, and then flip the burgers onto the bottom buns cheese side down. Add the pickle slices on top of the onions, then place the top buns on, and slide the whole thing onto serving plates. Some folks in Oklahoma put mustard on their burgers, but that masks the meat and onion flavors too much for me.
My new book, The Meathead Method, is out May 13. The great Alton Brown said it is “The only book on outdoor cookery you’ll ever need.”
You can pre-order on Amazon at tinyurl.com/meatheadmethod.
If you buy a copy, take a selfie with the book when it arrives, post it on your favorite social media channels, send a link to [email protected] I’ll send you a link where you can download our new eBook on Heavenly Hamburgers.
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