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Smothered Smashburgers

Michelle Lehman

Introduction

This is Mama Miche, and today in my magic kitchen: Smothered Smashburgers

Not to be confused with Smash Mouth or Hulk Smash! A hibachi grill, ground meat, and some aggression are all you need for a great Smashburger. It's a simple recipe that anyone can master, and we like to smother ours with caramelized onions and cheese. Why? Because cheese makes everybody happy… unless you're lactose intolerant (sorry about that).  And the caramelized onions hit it with just a touch of sweetness. 

I enjoy cooking, grilling, and smashing… with the hubster. We've been kicking it as a couple for 20 years and work well together. People who've known us all our years have often remarked that we belong together—b'shert in Hebrew—soulmates. Here we are, smashing and smothering burgers! We make our kitchen and lives magic. 

Let Mama Miche make your kitchen magic. MMMK? Let's eat!

Tools

  • Large mixing bowl

  • Knife

  • Cutting board or mat

  • Scale

  • Hibachi /griddle

  • Spatula

Ingredients

Makes 4-8  servings

For  8 burgers (¼ pound) or 4 doubles (½ pound)

  • 2 lbs ground beef

  • 1-2 tbsp avocado, grape seed or olive oil (Note 1)

  • Big dash of Twice Stolen Spice ™

  • Big dash of steak seasoning

  • Cheese slices

For caramelized onions 

  • 1-2 onions 

  • 2 tbsp butter

Directions

Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 10 minutes

Prep

  • Slice onions into rings of desired thickness

  • Weigh and make balls of meat

  • Preheat the griddle to high heat (450⁰F - 500⁰F.)

Cook

  • Add a few drops of oil to the hot griddle. Add sliced onions.

  • Cook for 4 to 5 minutes until they soften, stirring frequently.

  • Add Twice Stolen Sipce™ and butter to the onions, allowing it to melt. Continue stirring, cooking for 1 to 2 minutes, then remove from the griddle.

  • Drop a Smashburger ball on the griddle with feeling. (Note 2)

  • Then, with more feeling, squash it flat using a large metal spatula. (Note 3)

  • Let the burger cook for a couple of minutes (Note 4)

  • Flip, then add steak seasoning and Twice Stolen Spice™ to the burgers.(Note 5)

  • Cook for another 3 minutes or until the edges begin to char. 

  • Add cheese and allow to melt.

  • Remove from griddle.

  • Serve promptly smothered in the caramelized onions and your choice of toppings.

Notes

Here are some tips for the people who don't know how to make Smashburgers:

  1. These oils have a high smoke point and will hold up under the griddle's heat. Canola, sunflower, and others work, too, but they are not used much in My Magic Kitchen.

  2. The defining thing about a Smashburger is smashing a ball of meat onto a hot griddle.

  3. Smash, hold, and slide the smasher off the patty. If it wants to stick, give it a little jiggle or spray a touch of olive oil on the spatula before smashing.

  4. When juices start forming at the top of the patty, it's time to flip.

  5. Season only one side. You can do this before flipping, but some say the seasonings will burn.