| Did a friend forward this to you? Sign up here. Smash your burger My dad, who was a bus driver for the Chicago Transit Authority for 25 years, knew all the best spots for lunch in the city. One of his favorites was a place — sadly now long-gone — called Chick's. He liked it so much he'd sometimes take me and my brother there on his day off. A lazy afternoon would fly by as we'd watch the cooks throw meat on the griddle and use massive spatulas to flatten it against the hot steel, smoke and steam rising as they showered the patties with salt. I'd rest my chin on the Formica counter and inhale deeply while my dad sipped a Coke. An order would get called out from the register — "single-cheese, x-pickles, x-onions, side of mayo!" — and we'd try to follow along as the cooks performed the dance only line cooks know: low-boy fridge to fryer to blazing hot griddle to counter. Long before I knew how hard it was, I admired those slick, efficient moves. Not a single gesture was wasted to ensure that every component in an order was ready at the same time, the hot stuff hot, the cold stuff cold. Chick's was usually busy, and there was never room for a family to sit inside for long, so we'd always pile into my dad's Toyota sedan and eat our burgers and fries in the car. It didn't matter if it was below zero and I had to keep my coat on or if it was so hot that the backs of my thighs stuck to the vinyl seats. These days, when I want to reminisce about Chick's, I'll make a smash burger, which requires only a source of heat and, in my kitchen, a cast-iron skillet — though, if you have a griddle, that works, too. You might be tempted to take the party outside to the grill this upcoming weekend — it's Memorial Day weekend, after all, the unofficial start to summer. But the beauty of a burger cooked on a solid, flat, metal surface is that it can cook in its own fat. Burgers cooked on the grill get a nice char, but they also lose most of their fat to the flame. Instead of char, a smash burger gives you flavor in the form of caramelization and the Maillard reaction. It's not essential to understand the science behind this. All you need to know is that a very hot cast-iron pan and some salted ground beef will make a burger a lot like the one I grew up eating at Chick's: Thin and wide, with crispy edges enhanced by butter, salt and heat. With cheese or not. Beef or bean or veggie. And whatever toppings you desire. My order will always be: a single patty, one slice of yellow American cheese, toasted sesame seed bun, griddled onions, lettuce, tomato, ketchup, mayonnaise and mustard, plus a side of fries.  | Today's recipe |  Photos by Stacy Zarin Goldberg For the Washington Post; food styling by Lisa Cherkasky for The Washington Post | Smash Burgers Important! This recipe is written to be made on a grill outdoors, but good news for you and me: You don't have to make it outside! I make these burgers on my stovetop all the time. It's essentially the same process, but you don't have to worry about taming any flames. This recipe calls for ground chuck, which is usually about 20 percent fat. That extra fat is key to a smash burger's success. Without it, your burger might be tough and dry. That said, any similar ground mixture will work here One addition I usually make to my burgers is I smash very thinly sliced yellow onions into them as they fry. The onions caramelize alongside the meat and add a lovely sweetness to the finished meal. Want a vegetarian smash burger? This recipe for Carrot, Cumin and Kidney Bean Burgers fits the bill. For easy printing and scaling, view this recipe in our Recipe Finder. Serves: 2 to 4 (makes four patties)
Active Time: 20 mins
Total Time: 30 mins Ingredients - Condiments of your choice
- 12 ounces ground chuck (80-20 blend)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 2 or 4 hamburger buns, preferably potato buns
- 4 iceberg or greenleaf lettuce leaves (optional)
- 1 teaspoon neutrally flavored oil, such as canola oil or grapeseed
- Coarse ground kosher salt (total of about 1 tablespoon)
- Freshly ground black pepper (total of about 1 tablespoon)
- 4 slices white or yellow American cheese
Steps 1. Prepare a grill for direct heat. If using a gas grill, preheat to high (500 degrees). If you are using a charcoal grill, light the charcoal or wood briquettes; once the briquettes are red hot, distribute them under the cooking area for direct heat. For a hot fire, you should be able to hold your hand about 6 inches above the coals for 3 or 4 seconds. Have ready a spray water bottle for taming any flames. 2. Set out your favorite condiments so you'll be ready to dress your burgers as soon as they come off the grill. Divide the meat into 4 equal portions; shape into balls. 3. Place a large cast-iron skillet on the grates directly over the fire. Brush a little melted butter on the inside of the buns. Place them, buttered sides down, in the skillet or on the cooking grates, to toast for 2 to 3 minutes total. (Turn them over and lightly brown the exteriors, if desired.) There's no need to clean the skillet before adding the oil to cook the burgers. Transfer the buns to a plate. 4. If you want to dress the bottom buns with mayonnaise, mustard, ketchup and/or a special sauce, now's the time so that you can set the burger directly on the dressed bun. If you are using the lettuce leaves, place one on each bottom bun. 5. Add the oil to the skillet; once the oil shimmers, place the balls of meat in the pan and mash them down with a heatproof spatula. Use half the salt and pepper to season the meat. Cook, uncovered, for 2 to 3 minutes, until the burgers crisp a little on the bottom, then turn them over and season with the remaining salt and pepper. Cook, uncovered, for 1 to 2 minutes, then lay a slice of cheese on each burger. Close the grill lid; cook for about 1 minute, then, once the cheese is gooey, stack two cheese-topped burgers on each of 2 bottom buns (for double-meat portions) or place 1 burger on each of the 4 bottom buns (for singles), then finish with the top buns and serve. From food writer Jim Shahin; Tested by Andrew Sikkenga. Nutrition information per serving (based on 4 servings): Calories: 410; Total Fat: 23 g; Saturated Fat: 10 g; Cholesterol: 110 mg; Sodium: 1330 mg; Carbohydrates: 28 g; Dietary Fiber: 3 g; Sugars: 8 g; Protein: 25 g.  | Dessert | 🎧 "Carnival" by Natalie Merchant.
🍌 Don't Peel Your Banana Bread.
📖 "World Travel: An Irreverent Guide" by Anthony Bourdain and Laurie Woolever.
👀 Unnerving photographs by @thundergirl_xtal.
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