\n
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.<\/p>\n
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.<\/p>\n
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.<\/p>\n
Your support makes all the difference.<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nRead more<\/span><\/svg><\/span><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nFive years ago, \u201csmash\u201d was something you did to avocados. Now it\u2019s the burger world\u2019s battle cry. In London, you can barely walk three streets without catching the scent of beef meeting hot steel \u2013 crisp, craggy-edged patties stacked in brioche buns, dripping cheese like they\u2019re auditioning for TikTok.<\/p>\n
Supernova has queues snaking through Soho. Junk\u2019s messy, melty creations are going toe-to-toe with the capital\u2019s OG burger joints. Shoreditch\u2019s Dumbo \u2013 the Parisian cult hit that landed in June \u2013 is turning out the kind of burgers that make people cancel dinner plans. Even SMSH BN is here, hammering home the point: the smash burger isn\u2019t a fad, it\u2019s a takeover.<\/p>\n
And yet, this \u201cnew\u201d obsession is anything but. MEATliquor has been smashing since 2011, and the method itself dates back to the Great Depression in America, when cooks flattened patties to eke more flavour out of less meat. It stuck, became a diner staple, and somewhere along the way, someone realised it\u2019s also pure theatre \u2013 a hiss, a sizzle and the instant transformation of humble beef into something irresistible.<\/p>\n
With National Burger Day landing on 22 August, there\u2019s never been a better excuse to skip the queues and make your own. Abbie Hendren \u2013 rising-star head chef at Sam\u2019s Waterside in Brentford and Sam\u2019s Kitchen in Hammersmith and Chiswick \u2013 has been serving smash burgers every Thursday, Friday and Saturday to West London devotees. <\/p>\n
Here, she shares her no-nonsense tips and a foolproof recipe for recreating that perfect smash at home.<\/p>\n
Top tips for the best smash burger<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n\n
\nUse high-fat beef \u2013 preferably an 80\/20 fat ratio for the burger patties. Fat is essential for flavour, juiciness and getting that crispy edge. Using aged meat will add an extra boost of beefy flavour. <\/li>\n Don\u2019t overwork the meat \u2013 keep the patties loose. You want to roll the beef gently into a ball (not compress it) before smashing. <\/li>\n Preheat your pan properly \u2013 use a heavy pan or flat top and make sure it\u2019s smoking hot before you start. That\u2019s how you get the crust.<\/li>\n Smash hard, but just once \u2013 smash the patty flat as soon as it hits the pan, using baking paper and a spatula. After that, leave it alone! Don\u2019t press it again or you\u2019ll lose the juices. <\/li>\n Keep it simple \u2013 season with just salt, melt a couple of slices of American cheese on top and pair with a toasted bun, pickles and a house sauce. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n
How to make a smash burger at home<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n\n
\n<\/p>\n
open image in gallery<\/span><\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>(Supplied)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\nIngredients<\/strong>:<\/p>\nFor the patties<\/strong>:<\/p>\n250g ground beef (ideally 20% fat and chuck or brisket blend. We like to use our special blend from HG Walters, our friendly neighbourhood suppliers, but your neighbourhood butcher will be able to help you)<\/em><\/p>\nSalt and freshly cracked black pepper<\/em><\/p>\nNeutral oil or beef dripping for <\/em>cooking<\/em><\/p>\nFor burger sauce<\/strong>:<\/p>\n500g mayonnaise<\/em><\/p>\n180g ketchup<\/em><\/p>\n100g French mustard<\/em><\/p>\n1 finely diced onion<\/em><\/p>\nSalt and pepper to taste<\/em><\/p>\nFor assembly<\/strong>:<\/p>\n2 burger buns (brioche or potato buns work well)<\/em><\/p>\n4 slices American cheese (or cheddar if you prefer)<\/em><\/p>\nSliced pickles<\/em><\/p>\nShredded iceberg lettuce (optional)<\/em><\/p>\nSliced onion (optional)<\/em><\/p>\nBurger sauce <\/em><\/p>\nMethod<\/strong>:<\/p>\n1. Divide the beef into four equal portions (around 60-65g each) and gently roll into balls. Don\u2019t overwork them \u2013 you want them just held together.<\/p>\n
2. Heat a heavy cast-iron skillet or griddle over high heat until it\u2019s smoking hot. Lightly oil the surface.<\/p>\n
3. Place the meatballs in the pan and immediately smash down with a heavy spatula or burger press until very thin (about 1cm thick). Use baking paper between the press and the meat if needed. Press hard for max crust.<\/p>\n
4. Season generously with salt and pepper. Let cook undisturbed for 1\u00bd-2 minutes until crispy, brown edges form.<\/p>\n
5. Flip the patties once \u2013 they should release easily if properly seared. Place cheese slices on top and cook for another 60-90 seconds until melted.<\/p>\n
6. While the patties finish, toast your buns in the pan (cut side down) until golden.<\/p>\n
7. Spread burger sauce on the buns, layer two cheesy patties per burger, and top with pickles, lettuce and onion if using. Crown with the top bun.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Your support helps us to tell the story From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story. The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it. Your support makes all the difference. Read more Five years ago, \u201csmash\u201d was something you did to avocados. Now it\u2019s the burger world\u2019s battle cry. In London, you can barely walk three streets without catching the scent of beef meeting hot steel \u2013 crisp, craggy-edged patties stacked in brioche buns, dripping cheese like they\u2019re auditioning for TikTok. Supernova has queues snaking through Soho. Junk\u2019s messy, melty creations are going toe-to-toe with the capital\u2019s OG burger joints. Shoreditch\u2019s Dumbo \u2013 the Parisian cult hit that landed in June \u2013 is turning out the kind of burgers that make people cancel dinner plans. Even SMSH BN is here, hammering home the point: the smash burger isn\u2019t a fad, it\u2019s a takeover. And yet, this \u201cnew\u201d obsession is anything but. MEATliquor has been smashing since 2011, and the method itself dates back to the Great Depression in America, when cooks flattened patties to eke more flavour out of less meat. It stuck, became a diner staple, and somewhere along the way, someone realised it\u2019s also pure theatre \u2013 a hiss, a sizzle and the instant tr…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4883,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2],"tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4882"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4882"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4882\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/4883"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4882"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4882"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4882"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}