Western “Smash Burger” Recipe

This smash burger is a fun and delicious twist on the classic smash burger.

Ingredients:

1 lb 80/20 ground beef

6 slices pepper jack cheese

3 hamburger buns

2 shallots

1 c ap flour, unbleached

2 tbsp seasoned salt (my recipe is below)

1/8 c to 1/4 c bbq sauce (my recipe below)

6 slices bacon, I also use some of my homemade pancetta when I have it (shaved). When I have my blog post ready, it will have a link here.

2 tbsp oil, I like to use avocado oil

1-1/2 c oil for frying (tallow or avocado oil works great)

2 tbsp butter, unsalted for lightly browning the buns

Tools needed:

Burger press

Cast iron skillet

Spatula

Cutting board

Small stock pot

Mesh strainer

Perforated chef spoon

Thermometer

Tongs

Dinner plates

Paper towels

1/3 c measuring cup

How to make it:

First, let’s make some seasoned salt if you want to use my recipe. It is a general purpose, goes great on almost everything kind of seasoned salt. Add all ingredients into a mixing bowl and mix thoroughly. Store the salt in a mason jar with a tight fitting lid and fill up a small spice container when needed. This has its best flavor when used within 3-4 months.

Ingredients:

1 c fine grain sea salt

2 tbsp each onion and garlic powder

3 tbsp each chili powder and paprika

1 tsp coriander

1/2  tsp toasted cumin

2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves, crushed

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp ground turmeric

1/2 tsp dried marjoram, crushed

Now, let’s make some bbq sauce. Everything gets put in a small stock pot and brought to a simmer. Keep on a simmer for 20 minutes and cool to room temperature. Store in a mason jar with tight fitting lid and store in the refrigerator. Use within 1 month.

Ingredients:

28 oz can hunts tomato sauce or your favorite tomato puree.

1-1/2 c ketchup

3/4 c apple cider vinegar

1/2 to 3/4 c raw cane sugar

1-2 tbsp kosher salt

1/2 c molasses

1 tbsp paprika

2 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tbsp chili powder

1 tbsp garlic powder

1 tbsp onion powder

2 tsp cumin

1 tsp ground mustard

2 tsp worcestershire sauce

1/4 c hot sauce - Optional

1/2 tsp black pepper (about 30 turns on pepper mill)

Add all listed ingredients into a small stock pot and bring to a low simmer over medium low heat. Keep on a simmer for 20-30 minutes to thicken the sauce and meld the flavors together. Turn off heat and taste. Add more salt, pepper and vinegar if desired. This sauce is on the sweeter side and can be altered accordingly. I store my bbq sauces in glass mason jars with tight fitting lids and store in the refrigerator. It will stay good for about 1 month.

For the fried shallots, thinly slice into julienne strips. Add the flour and seasoned salt to a mixing bowl and mix thoroughly. Dredge the shallots in the flour and shake off excess by placing the dredged shallots in a mesh strainer and shake carefully.

Heat oil to 325-350 in a tall stock pot over medium heat. Fry the shallots by carefully placing them in the oil. Fry until lightly golden brown and pull from hot oil with perforated spoon. This will take only a couple of minutes. Drain the oil from shallots on a paper towel lined plate.

Warm up your cast iron skillet over medium heat for about 3 minutes. While the pan is warming up, portion out the beef. Grab your 1/3 c measuring cup and scoop some of the beef up and level it out in the cup pressing lightly. Put each portion onto a plate.

Add a little bit of butter to the skillet to brown the buns if desired. Wipe the melted butter with a clean kitchen rag before cooking the burgers.

Render the bacon in the skillet until crispy. Keep bacon on a paper towel lined plate until ready to use. Pour all but 2 tbsp of the rendered fat for cooking the burger patties in.

The thing I love about smash burgers is that it cooks super fast. Season the beef on both sides with a pinch of seasoned salt. I found that if you let one side sear for about 15 seconds, flip it over then smash it with the press. Doing this will have less of a chance of the meat sticking to your press. Cook on the first side for about 45 seconds to 1 minutes, flip and top with the cheese. Once the cheese is melted, place the burger patty onto a place and keep cooking the rest of the burger patties.

To assemble the burgers, I go with 2 patties per burger. Lay 1 patty down on top of the bottom part of the bun. Top with bbq sauce, the other patty, 2 pieces of crispy bacon, a pinch of fried shallots and a little but more bbq sauce. Top with the other piece of the bun and enjoy!

Logan