The Smash Burger, perhaps the most old school hamburger sandwich yet still super tasty!

One of my favourite burgers is the Smash Burger. The taste sensation is trully fantastic! Not just because we say so, but because it has been scientifically proven! Due to the increasing number of questions we receive about Smash Burgers, I've noticed they're becoming increasingly popular in the Netherlands and Belgium. But what exactly is a Smash Burger? Is it a current trend in the hospitality industry? And how do you make a real Smash Burger like in  Asheland, Kentucky (1930s)?

What is a Smash Burger?

I'm probably not telling you anything new when I tell you that cooking meat gives the meat the taste and smell that we all love so much.  
Because by frying and caramelizing the meat, a tasty and crispy exterior is created. So cooking it makes the burger taste and smell so good. So the bigger the surface area a burger patty has, the more flavour it gets.

What if you want twice as much flavour? Then you turn one burger patty into two very thin burger patties. Then you have double the surface area. And that's the principle behind a Smash Burger: the Smash Burger is actually a very thin burger, which gives it much more flavour .

Is the Smash Burger currently trending in the hospitality industry?

In the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg, we've noticed we're getting asked more and more about Smash Burgers. Especially from catering entrepreneurs who want to stand out by offering a truly authentic American burger. So we can safely say that it is trending.

But in America, it's different. The first time hamburgers really became popular was in the 1930s. And back then they were made just this way. Raw meatballs were flattened on a griddle during frying and fried in their own fat.

How do I make a Smash Burger?

It's important that you use fatty cuts of beef, otherwise it won't taste good. A fat percentage of about 19-20% is essential. This is also the reason why many hospitality entrepreneurs use the Fresh Burger or the Butcher Burger from LA Streetfood. These Irish burgers are guaranteed to have the right fat percentage.

You take a 180-gram burger and you cut it in half. From each half, make a meatball, which you place on your baking tray. Then press it completely flat onto the baking tray. This can be done with specialised tools (a smash burger press or grill press or roasting weight) that you can order at many barbecue or online catering shops but also with a trowel from a DIY store, for example. Some chefs like to put a piece of baking paper between the press and the meat, others don't.
You should only turn the burgers when the bottoms are nicely browned and they're already a bit crispy.