Alright, let’s talk about them smash burgers, the ones you make on a grill. I ain’t no fancy chef or nothin’, but I know how to make a good burger, the kind that makes your mouth water just thinkin’ ’bout it. My grandkids, they love ’em, and so does my old man, so I reckon I must be doin’ somethin’ right.
First off, you gotta get yourself some good ground beef. Don’t go buyin’ that lean stuff, it ain’t got no flavor. You want somethin’ with a bit of fat in it, like 80/20, you know? That fat, that’s where the juice and the taste come from. I usually get a couple of pounds, ’cause everyone always wants seconds.
Then you gotta get your grill hot, real hot. Not just warm, but hot like the devil’s breath! I’m talkin’ medium-high heat, at least. If you got a thermometer, aim for around 400 degrees Fahrenheit, but honestly, I just eyeball it. You want it hot enough to sear that burger quick and get a nice crust.
- Get your ground beef
- Heat up the grill real hot
- Get your spatula and smash it flat
Now, here’s the secret to a smash burger, you don’t just plop it on the grill like a regular burger. You take a ball of ground beef, maybe about a quarter pound or so, and you put it on that hot grill. Then, you take a good, sturdy spatula, and you smash it flat. SMASH it good! You want it thin, like a pancake almost. That’s what makes it a smash burger, see? It gets all crispy and caramelized on the outside but stays juicy on the inside.
Once you smash it, you season it. Don’t be shy with the salt and pepper. I like to use a good coarse salt and some freshly cracked black pepper. You can add other stuff too, if you like. Some folks put garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, whatever you fancy. But for me, salt and pepper is all you really need. You just gotta make sure you season it after you smash it, not before, otherwise it sticks too much. Learned that the hard way, let me tell ya.
Now, you let it cook for a couple of minutes, just until it’s nice and brown on the bottom. Then you flip it. Be gentle, you don’t want to break it. Once you flip it, you can put some cheese on it if you want. I like a good slice of American cheese, it melts real nice and gooey. But you can use whatever kind you like. Cheddar, Swiss, pepper jack, it’s all good. Let it cook for another minute or two, just until the cheese is melted and the burger is cooked through.
And that’s it, you got yourself a smash burger. Take it off the grill and put it on a bun. You can add whatever fixin’s you like. Lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, the works. Me, I like it simple. Just a bun, the burger, some cheese, and maybe a little bit of ketchup. That’s all you need for a good ol’ burger, the kind that sticks to your ribs and makes you feel good.
You can cook these smash burgers on a griddle too, if you got one. It’s pretty much the same thing, just make sure it’s hot and you smash them flat. Some folks say a griddle is even better than a grill, ’cause you get more even heat. But I ain’t got no griddle, so I just use my grill. Works just fine for me.
So there you have it, my way of makin’ smash burgers on the grill. It ain’t fancy, but it’s good eatin’. And that’s all that matters, right? Now go on and make yourself some burgers, and don’t forget to invite your grandma over, I’m sure she’d appreciate a good burger too.
Oh, and one more thing, don’t forget to clean that grill afterwards. I know it’s a pain, but trust me, nobody wants a burger that tastes like last week’s dinner. Just scrub it down with a good wire brush while it’s still hot, and you’ll be good to go. And don’t forget to oil the grates a bit before you start cooking, that’ll help keep the burgers from sticking.
So that’s all there is to it! Happy grilling and enjoy those burgers!
Tags: [smash burgers, grilled burgers, burger recipe, grilling tips, how to grill burgers, best burger, cooking burgers]