Smash burgers are as the name suggests...smashed, into the hot searing heat of the pan. They are delicious and easy to make, and I'm going to show you how. To make a smash burger you will need a few tools. These are not your average burger patty, and so will require a slightly different way of thinking. Usually, you wouldn't dream of mashing a burger patty into the pan, for fear of all the juices coming out. For a smash burger though, that's exactly what you need to do.

You'll want to get a heavy sturdy metal spatula, and a good heavy pan to fry the smash burgers in, preferably cast iron. What happens when you press down on the meat, is you force the mix to come into contact with the fierce heat of the pan, meaning it cooks quicker. But you also get that all important maillard reaction, with all those crispy bits and dark caramelised edges. A smash burger is a thing of beauty, and made properly, you will love em!

To make my smash burgers you will need:

Makes 2 burgers

• 4 x 100g balls of 80/20 minced beef

• 4 slices of processed American cheese

• 2 large burger buns

• Shredded iceberg lettuce

• Diced white onion

• Sliced gherkins (pickles)

• Salt & pepper

• Small knob of butter

• American mustard for top bun

For the sauce

• 4 tbsp of good mayonnaise

• 1/4 tbsp of green pickle relish

• 1/4 tbsp of American mustard

• 1/4 tbsp of white distilled vinegar

• 1/2 tsp of onion powder

• 1/2 tsp of garlic powder

• 1/2 tsp of paprika

Method:

Make the sauce

1. Simply combine all of the sauce ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Then place the sauce in the fridge until ready to use.

Make the burgers

1. Split 400g of good quality beef mince into 4 × 100g balls. Use mince that has a good fat content of around 20%.

2. Get a frying pan on a really high heat, making sure your kitchen has plenty of ventilation as it will get smoky!

3. After around 45 seconds, take a spatula and get right under the patty and flip it over. Make sure you get good contact with the burger to lift it off and not leave any of that amazing crust behind.

4. As soon as you have flipped the patty, lay your cheese slice on top of each patty, then turn the heat off and cover the top of the pan with a lid or plate and just leave for about 20 seconds for the cheese to melt.

Assemble your chicken burger

1. Take the bottom half of your toasted bun and add a layer of burger sauce, then some shredded iceberg lettuce and a little diced white onion.

2. Lay two of the cheese covered patties on top of the lettuce and add some sliced pickles. Finally add a little bit of American mustard to the underside of the top bun, pop it on top and enjoy!

Serve with fries or enjoy on it’s own!