Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 13 minutes
Yield: Four 1.5-2lb Smashburgers
Ingredients:
Ground beef (no leaner than 75%)
1 medium white onion very thinly sliced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 slices American or cheddar cheese
Texas toast:
1 medium loaf white bread cut into 8 inch thick slices
1/2 cup salted butter, softened
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 tbsp finely chopped parsley
Burger sauce:
½ cup mayonnaise
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp sugar
2 tbsp Valentina hot sauce
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. To begin making the Texas toast, preheat a grill pan or a grill to medium heat.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the butter, garlic, and parsley. Spread the garlic butter over both sides of each slice of white bread. Grill the bread slices for 2 to 3 minutes per side or until nicely toasted. (Alternatively, place the bread slices on a baking sheet and broil each side for about 3 minutes or until toasted and crisp.) Set aside.
3. To make the burger sauce, in a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, sugar and hot sauce. Stir until combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.
4. Divide the beef into 8 evenly sized pieces, about 2. to 3 ounces each. Form each piece into a ball.
5. Generously sauce one side of two slices of toast.
6. Generously coat a 12-inch cast-iron skillet with cooking spray and preheat over medium-high heat. Place 2 beef balls in the hot skillet, leaving at least 3 inches between the balls. Top a ball with a small mound of white onion and then smash the ball with a flat spatula until it’s slightly less than ¼ inch thick. Season the patty with salt and pepper and sear for 45 seconds. Flip the patty and season again with salt and pepper. Top with a slice of American or cheddar cheese and let it melt. When the cheese is melted the patty is cooked.
7. Remove it from the pan and place it on the toasted and sauced bottom piece of toast. Repeat the process with the other patty and then top the first patty with the second. Top the patties with the sauced side of the second slice of toast. Repeat with all the remaining patties and toast. Enjoy immediately.
NOTE: The onion needs to be sliced extremely thin—like ⅛ inch (4mm)—to really get the full effect of this burger. My suggestion would be to use a mandoline to slice the onion and achieve thin and even slices.
From the pages of cover star Joshua Weissman’s new cookbook “Joshua Weissman: Texture Over Taste.” Joshua says, “This is significantly better than a fast-food place that resides in Texas that shall not be named. You know who you are.”