Smashed cheeseburger

Name: Smashed cheeseburger
Yield: 1 batch
Ingredients: 400 g ground beef, 80/20, kept fridge-cold; 4 American cheese slices; 2 Martin's potato buns; 1 small white onion, sliced paper-thin; flaky salt and coarse black pepper; 2 tbsp Kewpie mayonnaise; 1 tbsp ketchup; 1 tsp yellow mustard; 1 tbsp finely chopped dill pickles; 4 dill pickle chips, to serve

Final version from attempt #3 — tested through 3 attempts.

See the development storyCopied by 9 kitchens

Ingredients

400gground beef, 80/20, kept fridge-cold
4American cheese slices
2Martin's potato buns
1small white onion, sliced paper-thin
flaky salt and coarse black pepper
2tbspKewpie mayonnaise
1tbspketchup
1tspyellow mustard
1tbspfinely chopped dill pickles
4dill pickle chips, to serve

Method

1. Pre-heat a cast iron skillet or carbon-steel pan over high heat for 5–7 min until a drop of water vaporises on contact. 2. Loosely form four cold 100 g balls — do not pack them. Lay a pile of paper-thin onions in the pan, then a ball on top of each pile. 3. Smash with a sturdy spatula and a press for a full 10 seconds, until each patty is ~12 cm wide and lacy at the edges. Salt generously. 4. Cook undisturbed for 90 seconds until the underside is mahogany and the edges look crisp. 5. Flip with a sharp metal scraper, taking every bit of crust with you. Top each patty with cheese and cook 45 seconds more. 6. Meanwhile, butter and toast the buns cut-side down until deep golden, then spread with a sauce of Kewpie, ketchup, mustard and chopped pickles. 7. Stack two patties per bun, add pickle chips, close, press lightly and eat immediately.