I live in Denver, and we just tried Smashburger for the first time a few weeks ago. I have to say - it was pretty tasty! Juicy, hot, and flavorful. However, it's still no match for the "baby buck burgers" at Denver' CityGrille!
Thank you so much for posting this. I have finally found my perfect wedding dress. Here comes the bride? Not good enough for my man! Here comes the TACO!
Mostly self-taught, but a lot of my greatest recipes come from my mother.
Bourdain- I also really enjoyed Bill Buford's Heat.
Bread, but we eat a lot of quinoa as well.
I'm awfully fond of a new broccoli and basil recipe I've been making recently.
Smashing is definitely the way to go if on a flattop griddle and only smashed once into a patty shape. Smashing is the traditional cooking method for most hamburgers pre-dating McD's and Bob's Big Boy. The Motz Burger, served at Water Taxi Beach, starts as a scoop of fresh ground that gets smashed on the hot griddle. It's a huge improvement over hand-formed patties.
There is a difference between the smash the raw meatball on the grill to ensure maximum contact with the hot surface versus flipping over a burger that has already cooked on one side and then smashing it. The first method makes a nice crusty outside while the other way just makes for hockey pucks.
I get it, but it's not my first choice. I'm thinking that many smashers might like a more well-cooked burger. I prefer a crazy-juicy, rare-ish burger.
A chacun son gout!
There is no best way of cooking burgers. Each method has its own merit and its a matter of prefference. Smashing burgers might seem to be against everything we know to achieve a fluffy and juicy burger, but who says that it has to feel like that all the time? At my restaurant I serve burgers using both methods and each method yields a different kind of burger. I love the smashed burgers for all classic diner style burgers, however I preffer gently hand formed patties for gourmet burgers (not going to be smashing kobe beef on the grill). Smashing burgers on the contrary is the best way to hide beef imperfections as it has a larger crisp surface area that tend to absorb most of the seasonings as well as cooking it more thouroughly. The quick searing by the smashing action might seal some juices, but those juices are trapped inside the patty and not in the meat particles. The extra juice is actually being picked up from the flattop. Try to go for the first burger and see how dry it would be in comparison with the 30th. I think that's one of the reasons why burgers taste better when it gets busy.
White Manna in Hackensack uses the smash tecnique, and nobody complains about their burgers.
Count me out of the "smashing" fan club. In my humble opinion, the primary reason to "smash" a burger is to cook it quicker. There is no doubt that a lot of juice is lost, it's common sense. If you have a hot grill you don't have to worry about a "crust".
I also don't like the fact that a company that knows how to put together a good sandwich is behind this burger enterprise. I plan on being a burger "king" myself someday (in a few years, I'm too busy selling subs for their rival), and too many good concepts are coming along. I hope they don't make it for purely selfish reasons.
The top picture resembles a Culver's butterburger, which if I remember correctly are also fresh and never frozen. Culver's, at least in the midwest, puts the other major fast food places to shame.
I have to agree that I am pro-smashing. Both in my cooking methods that I utilize at home, as well as eating out. I agree that timing is crucial, as is a well-seasoned grill. You can have a crispy outside and a juicy (not undercooked or raw) inside. Some of my favorites are Winstead's steakburgers in Kansas City and Sid's Diner in El Reno, Oklahoma. In fact, I believe that that the Oklahoma fried onion burger native to the El Reno area (there are several other tasty versions besides Sid's) are the ultimate smashed burger experience. If you get a chance, stop in one and grab a seat behind the grill and watch the cooking technique. For the most part it can be recreated at home. BTW the Smashburger promo photo looks nothing like what I am describing.
I have to agree that I am pro-smashing. Both in my cooking methods that I utilize at home, as well as eating out. I agree that timing is crucial, as is a well-seasoned grill. You can have a crispy outside and a juicy (not undercooked or raw) inside. Some of my favorites are Winstead's steakburgers in Kansas City and Sid's Diner in El Reno, Oklahoma. In fact, I believe that that the Oklahoma fried onion burger native to the El Reno area (there are several other tasty versions besides Sid's) are the ultimate smashed burger experience. If you get a chance, stop in one and grab a seat behind the grill and watch the cooking technique. For the most part it can be recreated at home.
@SoundBitesNYC: So true. As this Wendy's training video shows.
@mschlock: Also true, I think!
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