Charcoal Smash Burgers

Method

1. Cold beef, loose balls

   Roll the mince into loose 2 oz balls and keep them in the fridge until the moment they hit the pan. Do not compact them and do not season them yet. Salt draws out moisture and starts to cure the surface, which makes the meat springy rather than tender.

2. Build a flat hot surface

   Light a full chimney, spread it in an even bed, and set a cast iron pan or griddle plate directly on the grate. Give it a full ten minutes to come up. A bare grate cannot make a smash burger: you need continuous metal contact for the crust.

3. Toast the buns first

   Butter the cut faces and toast them on the griddle until golden. Do this before the beef so the surface is clean, and set them aside. A toasted face stops the bun going to mush.

4. Smash

   Lay the balls on the hot surface with plenty of space. Press each one flat and hard with a stiff spatula or burger press for a full 10 seconds, to about a quarter inch thick and wider than the bun. Season the top with salt and pepper now. Do not touch them again.

5. Flip once, at the right moment

   After about 90 seconds the edges will be dark, lacy and crisp. Scrape under with a firm spatula, getting every bit of the browned crust, and flip. Cheese on immediately. Another 45 to 60 seconds and they are done, at 70°C (160°F) for ground beef.

6. Stack straight away

   Two patties per bun, stacked so the cheese welds them. Build and eat immediately. A smash burger goes soft within a few minutes, which is why they are never made ahead.

Notes worth knowing

• 80/20 is not negotiable. Leaner mince produces a dry burger with no rendered fat to fry the crust in.
• If the patty sticks when you go to flip, the crust is not ready. Give it another 20 seconds and it will release.
• A layer of baking paper between the press and the meat stops sticking without affecting the crust.

Common questions

Can I make smash burgers on the bare grate?

No. The crust comes from unbroken contact between meat and hot metal, and a grate is mostly gaps. You will lose the fat through the bars and end up with a thin dry grilled patty.

Why charcoal if I am cooking in a pan?

Charcoal reaches and holds a far higher surface temperature than a domestic hob, and the fat and juice that escape the pan hit the coals and smoke back into the burger. You get a hotter crust and a flavour you cannot get indoors.