1st time trying smashburgers semi-fail

[BBQ Bacon]

Nothing wrong with that semi-fail. Like others have said, get the griddle nice and hot, then put down, let sit for about 30 seconds, then smash down. Then let it get a good crust before flipping. Smash burgers do not lend well for medium cooked.

[4ever3]

Pre-made patties was the biggest problem, 80/20 will work great.

Make 3 oz balls, season, place on flat top and let them crust for 30 secondsish.

When yer ready to smash, place parchment on the ball, then put the spatula on the parchment paper and smash away!

Hold for 30 secondsish, and move to the next one.

When it comes time to flip, don’t do it wreck less. Slide the spatula underneath by twisting left to right while applying lots of pressure to the flat top, that will separate the crust from the griddle insuring it stays on the patty.

Carry on...

p.s. Not a fail, just a learning experience, and btw, I’d eat it!!!

[AUswimKC]

I use patties as well. But I don’t ball them. I just smash them as thin as possible (they’re basically see thru but will contract) with a flat bacon press. I know buying ground beef is cheaper but using and storing patties is so much easier. I buy 10for$10 and they are 3.5oz patties

[AUswimKC]

Originally Posted by No1

I always have problems with smash burgers... they stick, no matter what I do. I guess it is because my wife only buys lean 90%+ ground beef. Or I just suck at it.

Yours look better than mine.

Use butter, oil, bacon grease, something. And then let the patty cook and crust. You basically cook the patty on just one side (grease will bubble thru and top will be turning from pink to brown when ready) - that should be long enough to crust. Then flip and cheese and wait for cheese to melt. Perfect

Some thing with a steak. It will stick until that crust is fully formed. The , it won’t stick any more.

[Clasko2]

Another poster said it, but I agree and it sounds weird but 3oz works great. You wouldn't think that 1 less oz would make a difference, but my best ones have always been 3oz. Also, for smash burgers, since they're so thin, and you're not really looking for medium rare per se, I have great results with 73/27...more fat leaves it juicy and the extra fat seems to hold it together better.

[SweetHeatBBQnSC]

So do y'all cook yours on the highest heat setting or turn it down towards medium? I used the highest heat setting.

[thirdeye]

Originally Posted by SweetHeatBBQnSC

Everything I have seen says 80/20, would 73/27 work even better?

Everyone else thanks for techniques and tips. I definitely see what the fuss is all about with smash burgers and how juicy they stay. It was totally a tasty experiment!

73/27? Only if the flattop is 399* I can tell you brisket and wagyu work fine, which is pretty fatty.... and 90/10 is doable for me, but I oil the flattop more.

[4ever3]

Medium-high

[Big George's BBQ]

Looks good to me. To quote Bob “I’d hit that”

[ColoradoSmoke]

The trick is to handle your meat as little as possible before you make them into 2.5-3oz balls. I grind my own meat (shoot for 80/20 or 75/25 meat to fat ratio) and then gently form them into balls. Place them in a container and use parchment paper so they layers of meat balls don't stick to each other (assuming making enough for a crowd).


Griddle + Bacon grease + meat ball + smash + add salt/pepper + cook + flip + add cheese + cook + remove + place on toasted buns + enjoy!


Great article here

[shares]

Originally Posted by SweetHeatBBQnSC

Everything I have seen says 80/20, would 73/27 work even better?

73/27 makes a fantastic smash burger!

[Tat-que]

I’d eat that fail any day !

[Bubblehead]

Originally Posted by SweetHeatBBQnSC

I did my first cook on my Blackstone 17" griddle. Got it for $48, yessah! I have been wanting to try smashburgers for forever. I had 2 pre-made 80/20 patties I bought from wally world so I thought what the heck.

The patties were 1/4# so I took some meat off and tried to roll the patties into a ball. When I smashed the balls flat they started falling apart some (1 way more than the other). However I was able to salvage them and used the Killer Hogs AP rub. Burgers were amazing! Also toasted the buns and the combo was great. I can't wait to do this with normal ground beef. Thanks for looking.
Sent from my SM-A215U using Tapatalk

You'll be happy using "regular ground beef". It's the main reason I bought a Blackstone.

[frognot]

Lots of good info here! Yummy looking burgers.