Cooking a smash burger is a quick and delicious way to enjoy a flavorful and crispy-edged burger. Here's a simple guide on how to cook a smash burger: VIDEO
If you choose to buy and use ready made ground beef consider using 80/20 ground chuck or 80/20 high quality ground beef.
Grinding chuck into ground beef at home is a great way to have control over the quality and fat content of your ground meat. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to grind chuck into ground beef using a meat grinder:
What You'll Need To Grind Your Own Beef:
Chuck Roast: Choose a chuck roast with a good balance of meat and fat. Chuck is a flavorful cut that works well for ground beef.
Meat Grinder: You can use either a manual or electric meat grinder.
Foot Pedal On/Off switch This has proven to be a real necessity with regular use. The ability to straty and stop the machine at will is a must.
Stand Mixer Grinder Attachment:
Cutting Board
BOOS Block Best cutting block on the market. Used by all the pros and celebrity chefs.
Sharp Knife: For cutting the chuck roast into smaller chunks.
Steps:
Chill the Equipment:
Place the chuck roast and the grinder parts in the freezer for about 30 minutes before grinding. Cold equipment helps maintain the texture of the fat.
Prepare the Chuck Roast or Beef Brisket:
Cut the into 1-inch strips. This will make it easier to feed through the grinder. Try to evenly distribute the fat with your cuts.
Assemble the Grinder:
If using an electric grinder, follow the manufacturer's instructions for assembly. If using a manual grinder, attach it securely to a stable surface.
Grind the Meat:
Start feeding the meat through the grinder using the appropriate grinder attachment. Use a plunger if your grinder comes with one.
If you desire a specific grind size, you may need to pass the meat through the grinder more than once.
Collect the Ground Beef:
As the ground beef comes out of the grinder, collect it in a bowl or on a tray.
Store or Use Immediately:
You can use the ground chuck immediately, or you can portion it and store it in the refrigerator or freezer. I cook some fresh burgers and smash and freeze the rest.
Clean the Grinder:
After use, disassemble the grinder and clean all parts thoroughly following the manufacturer's instructions.
Tips:
Experiment with Fat Content: Chuck is naturally a fattier cut, but you can experiment with the lean-to-fat ratio by trimming more or less fat according to your preference. TIP: The more soft white fat the better. Brisket has a much higher fat content for the carnivores out there.
Keep Everything Cold: The colder the meat and equipment, the better the texture of the ground beef will be. Put meat in freezer for 15-20 mins before cutting so that its good and cold.
Mix Different Cuts: If you want to experiment with flavors, you can mix chuck with other cuts like sirloin or brisket.
By following these steps, you'll be able to make your own high quality ground beef at home, creating fresh and flavorful meat for your favorite recipes.
Ingredients:
Ready made ground beef, Chuck or Brisket (80/20 lean-to-fat ratio is commonly used but the more fat the better)
Salt and pepper
American cheese slices (optional) 0 sugar is best
If you are not a Carnivore consider adding these optional extras?
Burger buns
Toppings of your choice (lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles, etc.)
Condiments (ketchup, mustard, mayo, etc.)
Equipment:
Skillet or griddle
Spatula Stiff & Wide
Steps:
Preheat Your Skillet or Griddle:
Place the cast-iron skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. Allow it to heat up for a few minutes until it's hot.
Divide and Shape the Ground Beef:
Divide the ground beef into equal portions, usually around 1/4 to 1/3 lbs. each.
Roll each portion into a loose ball, keeping the edges ragged for a better texture.
If you plan to freeze unused burgers watch this VIDEO. Burgers must be properly smashed before freezing to later cook them from frozen.
Prepare Parchment Paper (Optional):
If you want to prevent the meat from sticking to your spatula, you can place a small square of parchment paper on the meat before smashing.
Add Beef Tallow to the pan for additional fat content and flavor. (Optional) AMAZON
Smash the Burgers:
Place a portion of ground beef on the hot skillet or griddle.
Use a sturdy wide spatula to press down on the ball or patty, smashing it flat. Press down firmly to create a thin patty with crispy edges.
Season the top side of the patty with salt and pepper.
Cook the First Side:
Let the burger cook for about 1-2 minutes until the edges start to brown and crisp up.
Flip and Add Cheese (Optional):
Use the spatula to carefully flip the burger.
If you want cheese on your burger, add a slice to the cooked side. Leave a small border to avoid cheese melting into the pan making clean up easier.
Cook the Second Side:
Allow the burger to cook for an additional 1-2 minutes on the other side, or until it reaches your desired level of doneness.
The thinner the patty the faster it cooks, so keep an eye on it.
Assemble the Burger:
Transfer the cooked burger to a plate.
Place the burger on a bun and add your favorite toppings and condiments. (If not on carnivore)
Serve and Enjoy:
Serve your smash burger immediately while it's hot and the cheese is melted.
Repeat for Additional Burgers:
Repeat the process for the remaining portions of ground beef.
Experiment with Toppings:
Get creative with toppings to customize your smash burger. Add crispy bacon, or a fried egg for extra flavor.
Enjoy your homemade smash burgers! They're quick, delicious, and perfect for a satisfying meal.
Links to the products:
Meat Grinder:
Industrial Quality Dual Grind Pro Best grinder I have ever used. Makes the work effortless both in task and cleanup.
Foot Pedal On/Off switch Great add on to eliminate touching ON/OFF switch with meaty hands.
Home Cook Grade Grinder Great for the home user. Well above the mixer attachment and hand grinder in ease of use, speed and quality.
Stand Mixer Grinder Attachment:
Kitchen Aid Official Great for getting started on a budget if you already have a mixer.
Kitchen Aid Compatible Great for getting started on a budget if you already have a mixer. (knock off version)
Hand Grinder For the tough person that wants to earn it. Will give good results with effort.
Beef Tallow (Optional but amazing) Add some fat and raise the meaty taste level up.
Square Burger Patty Paper: Use when freezing to make separating frozen burgers easy.
Burger Press: Even effortless smash result. Use when smashing burger with plans to freeze. Smash very thin as burger will rise while cooking.
Skillet or Griddle: This is where money is well spent. A great skillet will fit a large quantity of food, cook evenly across the entire surface, will have a durable surface and clean easily. A cheap skillet is small, thin, cook temps vary widely across the surface, and is harder to clean. This all makes cooking a great burger more challenging.
Smash Burger Spatula Stiff/Flat: Smashing a burger requires a very stiff spatula that is small enough to fit in the pan but large enough to smash the burger. Bigger pans can use a bigger spatula.