Understanding Flat-Top vs Outdoor Grill Methods

I make smashburgers on steel often. The work is getting your burger bar together: sliced pickles, onions, cheese, unique sauce.

Get your frying pan or steel ripping hot. We're cooking these for 30-60 seconds per side, and you want it shrieking hot for that Maillard response, the sear that makes smashburgers legendary.

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I have actually made smash hamburgers on this thing that individuals still talk about. Smashing the beef thin makes the most of contact with the hot steel, activating the Maillard response, the chemical process that produces that deep, tasty, browned flavor we all long for.

Your very first burger and your 4th get the exact same incredible edge-to-edge crust without the temperature dropping. I 'd understand my household has remained in the steel organization for over 50 years at our shop in Hanover, MA. I understand this material, and I constructed these griddles specifically to solve the heat retention issue that cast iron can't.

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Let it preheat for 10-15 minutes till it's ripping hot (around 500-550F). This is the same principle behind our pizza steels fill the steel with heat, and it does the work for you. Carefully divide the ground beef into 4 x 4 oz (115g) balls. Do not overwork the meat; just form it into a loose ball.

Immediately smash them extremely thin (about 1/4 inch) with a stiff spatula or press. To prevent sticking, you can position a little piece of parchment paper in between the meat and the spatula. Season the smashed patties generously with kosher salt and fresh black pepper. Prepare for 60-90 seconds. You'll see the edges turn a deep, crispy brown.

Cook for another 30-45 seconds to melt the cheese. Briefly toast your buns on a cooler part of the frying pan for 15-20 seconds.

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Cheese melting perfectly on the Mini Frying pan Cast iron is the standard choice for smashburgers, and it works. After testing both side-by-side for over a decade, I switched to steel.

I understand how it stores and transfers heat in a manner the majority of people never think about. That understanding is precisely what led me to invent the Baking Steel in 2012, and it's why I created the Skinny Frying pan particularly for stovetop cooking like this. Here's the difference: That implies it recovers temperature faster between hamburgers.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

Steel doesn't drop. You get the exact same screaming-hot crust on your first burger and your fourth. It warms up faster and distributes heat more uniformly. No locations, no cold areas. Simply constant, edge-to-edge browning. No seasoning, no babying. Simply cook, scrape, wipe tidy. I've tested cast iron, stainless steel, and every frying pan on the market.

Preheat the grill and steel for 15-20 minutes on high heat, then smash your hamburgers right on the steel. You get the very same incredible crust with the included advantage of outdoor cooking and that subtle smoky flavor from the grill.

Understanding Flat-Top vs Outdoor Grill Methods

Buddies lose their minds when they see it. They walk up anticipating regular grilled hamburgers and instead they see me smashing patties on a piece of American-made steel on the grill. It's an entire thing. Perfect smash burgers made on the Baking Steel Original on an outdoor grill I developed each of these for a specific usage case.

It fits on a single burner and is ideal for families or hamburger night with good friends. is compact and perfect for 1-2 burgers. It's terrific for small kitchens, houses, or solo cooking. Exact same heat retention, smaller footprint. is the one that began it all. Use it in the oven for pizza, or take it outdoors and location it on your grill for smashburgers, steaks, and more.