One of my favorite burgers in Memphis these days is the burger from The Secret Smash Society. The talent behind this smash burger pop-up are chefs Harrison Downing, Cole Jeanes and Schuyler O’Brien.
The three – who call themselves “The Patty Daddies” – shared their top tips for cooking “The Crustiest Smash Burger.”
Tip 1: Quality Ingredients
“This is the first tip for a reason it's a huge reason why our burgers are as good as they are,” said Harrison. They will only use Grass Fed Beef from Homeplace Pastures, Martin’s Potato Rolls and good old American Cheese.
Tip 2: Weigh Your Meat
The Patty Daddies always make sure to weigh and pre-ball their beef. Pack the meat as loose as possible and handle it as little as possible as well. The reason behind this is because you don't want to break up the fat in the meat by packing the balls too tight and the more your hands touch the meat the more the fat chunks will melt from the warmth of your body temperature.
Tip 3: Flat Top Control
The key to a crusty burger is for your flattop to be ripping hot and have it as dry as possible. This will make sure your beef sticks to the flattop to form that crust instead of sticking to your burger press.
Tip 4: Give It Time
Don’t flip the burger too soon. Give your meat time to get a good crust. When it's crusty it's time to scrape and flip.
Tip 5: The Finishing Touch
Garnish with dill pickles, shredded Iceberg lettuce and a homemade Duke’s mayo-based burger sauce.
This is Jennifer Chandler with The Weekly Dish. Bon Appetit!
Follow The Secret Smash Society on Instagram at @thesecretsmashsociety for updates on future pop-ups and for information on how to book a private events.
