Smashed Burgers
by Christina Valagao
Everyone has a great burger recipe, this is mine. I created this to try and mock my favourite fast food joint in the states, this is my best take on the classic In N Out burger, Tina’s style.
Ingredients:
- 1 pound 70/30 organic Ground Beef
- 1 yellow onion, sliced thin
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups white mushrooms, sliced thin
- 1 heaping TSP Umami powder
- French’s yellow mustard (about a 1/2 TBSP per patty)
- Soft potato buns, or your favourite burger bun
- Iceberg lettuce
- Sliced beefsteak tomato
- Cheddar Cheese, sliced
Special Sauce Ingredients:
- 2 TBSP ketchup
- 1/2 cup mayo
- 1 TSBP white vinegar
- 2 TSP relish
- 2 TSP white sugar
- 3 TSP yellow onion, diced fine
Method:
1. Bring meat to room temp on counter for at least an hour. Form into 3 oz balls and place on a plate. Squish thin between two plates and parchment paper to prevent sticking.
2. Whisk together ketchup, mayo, white vinegar, relish, sugar and onion in a bowl, set aside.
3. Sauté sliced mushrooms with oil, garlic and umami powder in a nonstick pan until browned and soft.
4. Sauté yellow onion with oil, garlic until brown and starting to crisp on the edges. Remove onions from pan and turn heat to low. In the same pan, add 1 TSP more oil and add buns. Keep on heat for a few minutes to toast and absorb the flavour from the pan while you grill your patties.
5. Heat flat griddle to high, add grapeseed oil, once hot, add the meat to the hot grill and immediately flatten with a spatula and press down hard to get a half inch (max) patty. Once flattened, season liberally with salt and pepper. Squeeze a good 1/2 tablespoon of yellow mustard over the patty so it is well covered, flip and squish the patty again. Season the other side liberally with salt and pepper. The mustard on the bottom should be getting crusty and brown at this point.
6. Place sliced cheddar cheese on the patty and turn heat to medium. Cook until cheddar cheese is melted and meat is cooked to medium or pink throughout. Do not overcook the burger, they should not take longer than 1-1.5 min on each side as they are thin.
7. Once cheese is almost melted and buns are toasted to golden brown top the bottom bun with a generous scoop of special sauce. Follow with beef, onion, mushrooms, sliced tomato and iceberg lettuce. Place a small spread of sauce on the top of the bun. For the extra hungry, double stack the patties on top of each other and proceed the same with the toppings.
2. Whisk together ketchup, mayo, white vinegar, relish, sugar and onion in a bowl, set aside.
3. Sauté sliced mushrooms with oil, garlic and umami powder in a nonstick pan until browned and soft.
4. Sauté yellow onion with oil, garlic until brown and starting to crisp on the edges. Remove onions from pan and turn heat to low. In the same pan, add 1 TSP more oil and add buns. Keep on heat for a few minutes to toast and absorb the flavour from the pan while you grill your patties.
5. Heat flat griddle to high, add grapeseed oil, once hot, add the meat to the hot grill and immediately flatten with a spatula and press down hard to get a half inch (max) patty. Once flattened, season liberally with salt and pepper. Squeeze a good 1/2 tablespoon of yellow mustard over the patty so it is well covered, flip and squish the patty again. Season the other side liberally with salt and pepper. The mustard on the bottom should be getting crusty and brown at this point.
6. Place sliced cheddar cheese on the patty and turn heat to medium. Cook until cheddar cheese is melted and meat is cooked to medium or pink throughout. Do not overcook the burger, they should not take longer than 1-1.5 min on each side as they are thin.
7. Once cheese is almost melted and buns are toasted to golden brown top the bottom bun with a generous scoop of special sauce. Follow with beef, onion, mushrooms, sliced tomato and iceberg lettuce. Place a small spread of sauce on the top of the bun. For the extra hungry, double stack the patties on top of each other and proceed the same with the toppings.
Copyright (c) Christina Valagao 07/2021
