A ball of beef, a very hot surface and ten seconds of pressure. Why a smashed patty tastes the way it does.
Most of our burgers are grilled over open flame. A few are smashed on the flat top instead, and people often ask what the difference is.
Why smash at all
Pressing a ball of ground beef hard against hot steel puts as much of the meat as possible in contact with the heat. That contact is what builds the deep brown, lacy crust a smashed patty is known for.
The trick is to smash once, in the first ten seconds, and then leave it alone. Press later and you squeeze out the juice you were trying to keep.
How we do it
We start with a loose ball of freshly ground chuck, about the size of a golf ball and a half. It goes onto a flat top that is hot enough to make a drop of water skitter.
One firm press with a heavy spatula, a pinch of salt, and about ninety seconds on the first side. We scrape under the patty to keep every bit of crust, flip it, lay on the cheese and count to forty.
Smashed or flame-grilled?
A flame-grilled patty is thicker, smokier and can be cooked to your liking. A smashed patty is thin, crisp at the edges and all about the crust.
Neither is better. Order one of each and decide for yourself.
