Pre-smashed smashburgers on GrillGrates


 
Tony P in Florida

Tony P in Florida

TVWBB Fan
In the past I've used my Lodge cast iron 14 in Pizza Pan, but I can only make four burgers at a time. I also used my grillgrates placed upside down and I could make a whole bunch of burgers at one time. But with the grillgrates, I would just place them on the grate since I didn't want any of the beef to either get stuck in the holes or fall through.

So tonight I decided to do smash burgers and pre smash them ahead of time using my Lodge Burger press. Why pre smash? Solves the problem of beef either getting stuck in the holes are flowing through.

So so I pre smashed ahead of time using wax paper as if I was on the grill. Then I seasoned with salt.

Then I took the patties out to my Weber 4-burner... As i placed each burger on the grill grates, I used wax paper and pressed them onto the grates for 10 seconds with the press. I don't consider this smashing twice. I was just giving the burger a chance to adhere to the grates.

Overall I was pretty impressed. I realized that the back left of the grates were burning hotter than the other areas.

Anyway, there's a few pics.

Edit:. Ground beef package was 80/20, 2.25 lb. The eight burgers were decent thickness. Not really paper thin like some folks like. But these were good thickness for us. They did shrink a little bit but they were at least the same size as the bun.
 

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Jim C in Denver said:
Fwiw, I just smash directly on my ggs. No problem with the holes.
Click to expand...

If I make them again we'll have to try pressing down directky. I did see a couple of YouTube videos when the meat did get stuck in the hole because when the burger was flipped and was no char in these little circle areas on the burger.


EricV. said:
The typical original SB should be on average between 2-3 oz.
Click to expand...

I still remember the very first time I did smashburgers. We were watching an episode on America's test kitchen. Ended up making in two stainless steel fry pans. They were 4 oz each back then too when I made them :)

Truth be told, I think I am all smashburger'd out. Now my next endeavor is to make a hamburger like in a pub. I'm a big fan of the Texas Roadhouse smokehouse Burger I think they call it.
 
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Chuck-roaniecowpony said:
I feel left out. I haven't grilled a burger in a few years. I suppose I'll have to change that.
Click to expand...

I stopped grilling burgers for a long time. That's probably because I was doing them wrong for many years. That changed when I started to make smash burgers.

But based, in part, on this last encounter with making burgers, I have a couple of takeaways which I am going to put in my back pocket and use moving forward:
1. A griddle or the upside down grillgrates I use is a good approach in terms of hardware
2. I'll never overwork the meat again. Even though the burger press I used makes a burger about a third of an inch thick, I used standard loosely packed ground beef and did not overwork the meat by massaging ingredients into the ground beef before it goes on the grill

I think #1 is important for me because is less likelihood of a burger breaking on the flip.

For #2, the meat is loosely packed when it goes on the grill which means is nice little pockets of liquid fat in every bite. Just like eating a smashburger but thicker. Not dry. The only seasoning is on the surface of the Patty and not inside of it.

Anyway, I quoted you but I'm also sharing to the whole group :)
 
Tony P in Florida said:
I stopped grilling burgers for a long time. That's probably because I was doing them wrong for many years. That changed when I started to make smash burgers.

But based, in part, on this last encounter with making burgers, I have a couple of takeaways which I am going to put in my back pocket and use moving forward:
1. A griddle or the upside down grillgrates I use is a good approach in terms of hardware
2. I'll never overwork the meat again. Even though the burger press I used makes a burger about a third of an inch thick, I used standard loosely packed ground beef and did not overwork the meat by massaging ingredients into the ground beef before it goes on the grill

I think #1 is important for me because is less likelihood of a burger breaking on the flip.

For #2, the meat is loosely packed when it goes on the grill which means is nice little pockets of liquid fat in every bite. Just like eating a smashburger but thicker. Not dry. The only seasoning is on the surface of the Patty and not inside of it.

Anyway, I quoted you but I'm also sharing to the whole group :)
Click to expand...
That "loosely packed" tip is gold.
 
Tony P in Florida said:
If I make them again we'll have to try pressing down directky. I did see a couple of YouTube videos when the meat did get stuck in the hole because when the burger was flipped and was no char in these little circle areas on the burger.




I still remember the very first time I did smashburgers. We were watching an episode on America's test kitchen. Ended up making in two stainless steel fry pans. They were 4 oz each back then too when I made them :)

Truth be told, I think I am all smashburger'd out. Now my next endeavor is to make a hamburger like in a pub. I'm a big fan of the Texas Roadhouse smokehouse Burger I think they call it.
Click to expand...
I make them 4 oz typically for one, 2 oz when we're making doubles.
 
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