Smash Burgers, Griddle-Style

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs ground beef, 80/20
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 8 slices American cheese
• 4 potato buns
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1 tablespoon neutral oil, such as canola or grapeseed
• Dill pickle chips, for serving
• 1/2 white onion, sliced paper-thin
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
• 1 tablespoon dill pickles, minced

Method

1. Divide the ground beef into 8 loose balls, about 3 ounces each. Handle the meat as little as possible and don't compact it — overworked beef cooks up dense. Keep the balls cold until the pan is ready.
2. Stir the mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, and minced pickles together in a small bowl and set aside.
3. Butter the cut sides of the buns and toast them face-down in a dry skillet over medium heat for 1-2 minutes until golden. Set aside.
4. Heat a cast-iron skillet or flat griddle over high heat until the surface reaches at least 450°F (230°C) — a drop of water should skitter and vanish. Give it a full 5 minutes. An underheated pan will never give you crust, and no amount of extra time will fix it.
5. Add a thin film of oil. Place 2-3 balls on the surface with space between them and immediately smash each one flat to about 1/4 inch with a stiff spatula, pressing with a second spatula or a heavy pan for leverage. Hold the pressure 10 seconds, then release.
6. Season the tops with salt and pepper and cook undisturbed 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, until the edges turn lacy and brown.
7. Slide the spatula edge under each patty and scrape — you want the crust to lift with the meat, not stay stuck to the griddle. Flip, lay a slice of cheese on each, and cook 45-60 seconds more. Patties this thin clear 160°F (71°C) well inside that window.
8. Repeat with the remaining balls, adding oil as needed and wiping the griddle if the fond gets too dark.
9. Stack two patties per bun with sauce, pickles, and shaved onion. Serve immediately — a smash burger is at its best about ninety seconds after it leaves the pan.