For a better burger at home, you’ve got to smash it

America has a long-standing love affair with burgers of all types — one we celebrate each year on May 28, National Burger Day.

Through the 2000s, I remember pub-style burgers with their thick, juicy patties getting all the attention. But at some point within the past decade or so, the smash burger became the “it” burger we couldn’t get enough of.

Credit large chains, including Shake Shack and Smashburger, which says it holds the record for the quickest fast-casual concept to hit the 200-plus-restaurant milestone. But the smash burger’s staying power is also a direct result of all the chefs and smaller restaurants that, when they want a burger on their menu, gravitate to thin and crispy patties.

While the smash burger’s popularity is recent, the item itself is not.

“The first American burger was likely a smash burger,” according to George Motz, a restaurateur, filmmaker and author who has researched burger history extensively. It was probably a portioned ball of beef that was smashed into a pan. “It was done for speed,” he said, as factory workers and fairgoers were the ones eating these burgers, “and they had to be produced quickly.”

However, those thin patties may not have been the same as the extra-crispy, lacy-edged versions we know today. Motz believes they debuted sometime in the late 1920s or early 1930s, once grease traps were added to restaurant flattop griddles, which allowed the fat to run off and stopped the beef from being deep-fried after long periods of cooking. In a story for Mashed, Colin McCandless noted that Miner-Dunn restaurant — now located in Highland, Indiana — has been serving smash burgers since it opened in 1932.

The draw for restaurants — aside from customer demand — is that they are fast and easy to prepare. For diners, the main appeal is the superior taste compared with that of pub-style burgers. That’s all thanks to the Maillard reaction, which occurs when sugars interact with the amino acids of proteins to create new, delicious flavors and aroma compounds, and also heightens the umami. Although this happens with thick patties, too, in a smash burger, a much higher ratio of meat possesses this improved, more craveable taste. (Some diners also prefer the thinner patties for the smaller portion size and as a way to limit meat consumption.)

While there’s no shortage of options for buying smash burgers when dining out or ordering in, they’re just as easy to make at home. It starts with the beef. You want as much fat as possible, according to Motz, to keep the burgers moist and juicy. The baseline is 80% lean, but at his New York City restaurant, Hamburger America, they use 75% lean ground beef.

The fineness of the grind also makes a difference. With the more standard ground beef available at your average grocery store, the dots of white fat will melt once they hit the hot cooking surface, potentially leaving small holes in your patties. Although you can certainly make delicious smash burgers with grocery store ground beef, Motz recommends going to a butcher and asking them to grind it twice, after which it should resemble strawberry ice cream instead of red meat with specks of white fat. A finer grind not only helps with aesthetics but also makes it easier for moisture to escape, thus speeding up the Maillard reaction.

Another key to better smash burgers is a hot skillet. It’s best to use cast-iron cookware and preheat it for several minutes until you start to see a few whispers of smoke. (You can toast your buns while you wait.) Once the skillet is hot, add a bit of oil and smash the balls of ground beef as thinly as possible. Doing so requires a bit of force, which is a good way to release any frustration you’ve been holding on to recently. A burger press is great if you have one. Otherwise, I recommend a solid metal spatula, also known as a turner, and leaning into it with your body weight to smash the beef.

After just a few minutes, you should have a deeply browned, crispy crust. Then flip, top with cheese, if desired, and you’ve got a delicious smash burger ready for eating in almost no time at all.

The smash burger is “the one that started everything, and we seemed to have gotten away from it until a couple of years ago, when it just went nuts,” Motz said. Once you’ve made them at home, it’s easy to see — and taste — why these burgers have staying power.

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Smash Burgers

1 pound 80% lean ground beef, preferably chuck

1 tablespoon neutral oil, such as peanut or vegetable

Fine salt

Freshly ground black pepper

4 slices American or cheddar cheese (optional)

4 hamburger buns, toasted if desired

Ketchup, mustard, pickles, sliced onion, sliced tomato and other toppings of your choice, for serving

Divide the ground beef into four (4-ounce) portions and roll into balls. Heat a large (12-inch) cast-iron skillet or griddle over medium-high heat until it is very hot and just barely starts to smoke. Add the oil, and tilt and swirl the skillet or griddle to distribute. Working in batches as needed, add the portions of beef to the skillet, smash with a large metal spatula as thinly as possible, lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook until browned and crisp on the bottom, about 3 minutes. Flip, top with the cheese, if using, and cook until browned on the other side and the cheese has melted, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a platter, scrape the skillet to remove any browned bits or melted cheese, and repeat with the remaining portions of beef.

Add 1 of the cooked burgers to the bottom of each bun, followed by your favorite toppings, then cover with the bun tops. Serve hot. For a heftier burger, use two patties per bun.

Makes 2 servings (4 burgers)

Nutrition per serving (1 burger without cheese): 481 calories, 31g carbohydrates, 81mg cholesterol, 28g fat, 3g fiber, 25g protein, 9g saturated fat, 505mg sodium, 4g sugar

— Aaron Hutcherson