Recently my fiancee and I took a trip with some friends to The Junction Roscoe. If you haven’t been yet, I highly recommend visiting. I had been hearing all about their famous “smash burger” for several months now and had to try it out for myself.

The burger was everything I had hoped for; crispy, salty, fatty, and is the exact meal you would want after a fun night out or a guilty pleasure meal. This isn’t the first time I had heard about the “smash” burger, a burger that is essentially flattened on a griddle to make more surface area and give you a thin, crispier patty.

I am a sucker for a thin patty and have been hearing about this technique of cooking burgers for several years now. I make a beautiful dijonaisse that is mayo mixed with dijon mustard and pairs perfectly with the fat and salt of a burger. Not to mention, these burgers are so thin, and cook so quickly that you can feed a crowd in a hurry.

For your perfect “smash” burger you will need:

1 1/2 lbs ground beef, 80/20 divided into 8 portions (3 oz each)

garlic powder

1/2 c mayonnaise

2 tbsp dijon mustard

1/2 tbsp lemon juice

salt

pepper

buns (I prefer potato buns)

your favorite burger toppings (dill pickles are recommended, as they will cut the salt level)

I begin by preparing my patties first because unlike cooking steaks, they will need to be cold when hitting the griddle or large pan. Divide 1 1/2 lbs of ground beef into 8 equal portions and roll into round balls. Then refrigerate until ready to cook. While they are in the fridge, mix together mayo, lemon juice, dijon mustard, and a healthy portion of salt and pepper. This can be spread onto your burger buns as a beautiful sauce. Prep your toppings, and a completely optional step is toasting your burger buns.

Next you’ll want to prepare your patties. Once cooled, lay down a piece of parchment over your burger patty and smash it thin with a spatula. The point is to get it as thin as possible. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder on both sides and prepare them for your griddle or large cast iron skillet. Sear for 2 minutes on one side and a minute on the second side. Add cheese onto 4 of the patties and top with a second patty and remove from heat, so the cheese is melted in the middle.

The classic smash burger toppings are mayo or dijonaisse, pickles, and lettuce. You will never go back to eating a burger off the grill again. Enjoy the beautiful weather! Cheers!