My customers love my "squash" burgers a term that I use because I incorrectly called a smash burger a squash burger and has stuck. I think smash sounds more edible than squash but the title has stuck.
When I first found the site I spent days reading everything and scribbled down all that I thought was important in the hope that it would help me retain it in the space between my ears. Need I say that there is just not enough space between my wingnuts.
When I first started vending my clientele was small and I used a small cast iron griddle pan over a gas burner to cook my patties (max 4 at a time). I was able to produce really good burger patties, a lot to do with the flame sear from the fats catching alight in the pan.
As my customer base grew it was no longer viable to use the pan so I fired up the flattop. I had no experience using a flattop and was discouraged by the patty end result compared to the griddle pan.
Then somewhere in that space of emptiness I remembered reading about smash burgers and revisited the site. I since, have never used a patty press to make my burgers and the results are close to the flame sear of the griddle pan (just not as good).
At least once a week I make around 40 burgers all to be served at a specific time.
I make them in batches of ten. It is easier to "squash" and manage the load. My experience is the first batch browns nicely even the flipped side but the results are less satisfactory as I make headway.
I use a paint scraper to clean the flattop after each lot before starting the next batch, but the browning is not as acceptable as the batch before. From the second batch onward the flipped side does not get the same crust as the other side. I have tried not flipping them onto the same spot as the first side cook but doesn’t make a huge difference.
I do apply pressure once flipped but lightly so as not to squeeze out all the goodness. The burgers still get the thumbs up, but I know they are not as good as when I do less quantities.
Is this because the flattop plate is cooling as the cook progresses or is it about the fat or residue that is not sufficiently scraped away after each batch fry. As mentioned I don’t have the same happen when grilling otherwise.
My flattop is about 35 x 17 inches with a 10mm just under ½ inch thick stainless steel plate with 2 horseshoe type burners.
Any suggestions or advice.
When I first found the site I spent days reading everything and scribbled down all that I thought was important in the hope that it would help me retain it in the space between my ears. Need I say that there is just not enough space between my wingnuts.
When I first started vending my clientele was small and I used a small cast iron griddle pan over a gas burner to cook my patties (max 4 at a time). I was able to produce really good burger patties, a lot to do with the flame sear from the fats catching alight in the pan.
As my customer base grew it was no longer viable to use the pan so I fired up the flattop. I had no experience using a flattop and was discouraged by the patty end result compared to the griddle pan.
Then somewhere in that space of emptiness I remembered reading about smash burgers and revisited the site. I since, have never used a patty press to make my burgers and the results are close to the flame sear of the griddle pan (just not as good).
At least once a week I make around 40 burgers all to be served at a specific time.
I make them in batches of ten. It is easier to "squash" and manage the load. My experience is the first batch browns nicely even the flipped side but the results are less satisfactory as I make headway.
I use a paint scraper to clean the flattop after each lot before starting the next batch, but the browning is not as acceptable as the batch before. From the second batch onward the flipped side does not get the same crust as the other side. I have tried not flipping them onto the same spot as the first side cook but doesn’t make a huge difference.
I do apply pressure once flipped but lightly so as not to squeeze out all the goodness. The burgers still get the thumbs up, but I know they are not as good as when I do less quantities.
Is this because the flattop plate is cooling as the cook progresses or is it about the fat or residue that is not sufficiently scraped away after each batch fry. As mentioned I don’t have the same happen when grilling otherwise.
My flattop is about 35 x 17 inches with a 10mm just under ½ inch thick stainless steel plate with 2 horseshoe type burners.
Any suggestions or advice.
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