- Prep time15 mins
- Cook time10 mins
- Servings4
- DifficultyEasy
- CategoryContinental
A great burger is 90 percent patty technique. Loose 80/20 beef, handled as little as possible, smashed hard onto a ripping-hot surface in the first 30 seconds — that smash is what builds the deep brown crust (the Maillard reaction) that makes diner burgers taste like diner burgers. Season only the outside, cheese in the last minute under a lid, and always toast the bun.
Ingredients
- 700 g (1.5 lb) ground beef (80/20), cold
- 4 brioche burger buns
- 4 slices cheddar cheese
- For the secret sauce: 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 1 tbsp ketchup, 1 tbsp finely chopped pickles, 1 tsp yellow mustard, 1/2 tsp pickle brine
- Shredded iceberg lettuce, tomato slices, red onion rings, pickle slices
- Butter, for toasting
- Salt and black pepper
Method
- Divide the cold beef into 4 loose balls — do not pack or season yet. Mix the secret sauce and chill.
- Heat a cast-iron skillet or griddle until smoking. Butter the bun halves and toast cut-side down until golden; set aside.
- Place the beef balls on the hot surface and smash firmly with a heavy spatula to about 1/2-inch thick. Season generously with salt and pepper.
- Cook 2 to 3 minutes until a deep brown crust forms. Scrape, flip, and immediately top with cheddar.
- Cover with a lid or metal bowl for 1 minute to melt the cheese. Cook 1 minute more for medium.
- Sauce both bun halves, then stack: lettuce, patty, tomato, onion, pickles. Serve immediately.
Tips for success
- Smash once, in the first 30 seconds — pressing later just squeezes out the juices.
- Keep the beef cold until it hits the pan; warm fat smears and the crust suffers.
- Sauce both buns — it waterproofs the bread against the juices.
Watch video tutorial
Prefer to watch it being made? This from Curtis Stone walkthrough covers the same classic beef burger step by step — the spoken narration doubles as an audio tutorial.