Sizzle is the best part of the burger. But it’s limited to side A and side B. In between lurks the granular middle — it’s a lot of ground to cover.
Solved by the genius of math. Remember geometry’s plane — the way it’s all surface, no depth? Applied to the burger, it produces infinite sizzle.
Here’s how to work the equation: Divide ground beef by two, roll each half into a sphere and, in a hot pan, smash with a spatula. The flattened patty plane browns to a sizzle on side A, sizzle on side B — no middle. Stack patty 1 on patty 2, sandwiching a slice of American cheese.
The result is a four-sided burger with a molten core. How’s that for higher math?
Smashed Burger
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 1 minute
Makes: 1 serving
Note: This burger doesn’t hold — make one at a time.
1 hamburger bun (preferably a Martin’s Potato Roll)
Butter, softened
Fixin’s — mayo, mustard, ketchup, onion, tomato, etc.
4 ounces ground beef chuck or other ground beef (not lean)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1-ounce slice American cheese
1. Toast: Spread inner faces of the bun with butter. Heat a skillet or griddle over medium. Toast bun, butter-side down, until golden, one to two minutes.
2. Prep: Set the bun on a plate, open-faced. Pile fixin’s of choice on the bottom bun.
3. Roll: Divide beef and roll into two 2-ounce balls. Heat a dry skillet over medium-high.
4. Smash: When skillet is very hot, add the two beef balls. Immediately smash each with the back of a stiff metal spatula (use some muscle), creating two very thin patties, each a little wider than the bun. Season each with salt and pepper. Cook until browned on the bottom and a mottled gray/pink on top, about 45 seconds.
5. Flip: Scrape up and flip both patties. Top one with cheese. When the patty bottoms have browned (about 15 seconds) stack the patties so the cheese is sandwiched in between. Slide this cheese-filled burger onto the prepared bun. Close bun, squish gently. Burger perfection is yours.
Provenance: This recipe, which uses a technique popularized by the chain Smash Burger, is adapted slightly from Food 52, which credits food scientist J. Kenji Lopez-Alt and the website Serious Eats.
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