Shake Shack Style Smash Burgers
I have an undying love of Shake Shack, which is quite the loaded statement to make considering I’m a native Angeleno and this is home of In-N-Out Burger after all. I still remember the first time I had a Shake Shack burger in New York—and I don’t mean to sound facetious at all when I say this—but my entire burger-eating life changed from that moment on.
They are, to me, the most delicious fast food burger out there (my only issue is that they’re very tiny) and I got way too excited when they started opening shacks here in Los Angeles, and even more so now that there is a location opening up right down the street from me in Pasadena. Which is just as dangerous as it is exciting. The recipe for these smash burgers comes from the Shake Shack cookbook, Shake Shack: Recipes & Stories. If you’ve never had one of these for yourself, now is your chance.
Shake Shack Style Smash Burgers
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Large cast iron skillet
Ingredients
Sauce:
- ½ cup good quality mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon ketchup
- ½ teaspoon dill pickle brine
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Burgers:
- 2 pounds cold lean ground beef
- Kosher salt and coarse black pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 8 potato hamburger buns
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 8 slices American cheese
- 8 pieces green leaf lettuce
- 16 1/4-inch slices plum tomatoes
Instructions
- To make the sauce, in a small bowl, whisk together the mayo, mustard, ketchup, pickle brine, and cayenne until smooth. Give it a taste and adjust seasonings accordingly, adding more brine or cayenne as needed. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge until ready to use.
- To make the burgers, in a large bowl, lightly combine the beef with salt, pepper, and granulated garlic. Divide into 8 equal pieces and then shape into rounds. Set aside.
- Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, melt in a tablespoon of butter. Split open four of the buns and place them cut side down into the butter and cook until lightly golden brown and toasted, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Transfer to a platter and melt in the remaining butter. Toast the last four buns and set aside as well.
- In the same skillet, place a ground beef round in and then using a flat large spatula press down firmly to smash down the patty as flat as possible. Season lightly with a bit more salt and pepper on top and cook until the burger patty is caramelized and browned, about 2 ½ minutes. Flip over and place a slice of cheese on top and continue to cook for 1 more minute. Transfer cheeseburger onto a plate or platter and continue cooking the rest in the same way.
- To assemble the burgers, spread the toasted buns with the sauce, place a cheeseburger on top of the bottom buns and then top with a piece of lettuce, and two slices tomato. Sandwich with the top bun and serve. Enjoy!
