Smash Burgers at 500* ??

500 · July 2019

Agree?
https://biggreenegg.com/recipes/smash-cheese-burgers/

I know the fat to meat ratio plays a part here. Since we are cooking with lean burger meat (👎), I'm thinking I may have sticking problems at 500*.

dldawes1 · July 2019

No problem with sticking at 500. I use a 18” Co griddle laying on the grill. I have a YouTube video out there somewhere.

unoriginalusername · July 2019

500 said:

Agree?
https://biggreenegg.com/recipes/smash-cheese-burgers/

I know the fat to meat ratio plays a part here. Since we are cooking with lean burger meat (👎), I'm thinking I may have sticking problems at 500*.

No issues. I have a CI half moon. Either use some oil on the grid or mustard, the only sticking issue I’ve had is sticking to it the smash spatula so don’t forget to oil it some

BeerMike · July 2019

I didn’t have any sticking issues at 500*. Here is a picture of some smashed burgers on a Lodge 14 inch cast iron pizza pan.

Theophan · July 2019

I have a question: What in blazes is the advantage of putting them on the griddle and not smashing them immediately? I hear some people on this forum saying that's the way they do it, and now I see that the recipe linked-to on the BGE website says to wait a minute or two before smashing them.

WHY???

What's the advantage? Far as I can see it only causes the outer parts to spend LESS time getting nice and crusty brown! I put one on, SMASH it. Put another one one, SMASH it... Works like a charm for me. Is there something I'm missing?

smittydog27 · July 2019

I cook on cast iron, hot, the burgers are round balls that roll around in a big bowl in seasoning. Put back in fridge to chill until egg/iron up to temp. Then I drop the balls on the ci. Count to about a minute 30..then SMASH the heck out of it with my burger spatula. Let it cook and crisp the edge then flip. Crisp the slap on the cheese, remove from direct heat and close dome. Let cheese melt. Serve

Theophan · July 2019

500 said:

... Since we are cooking with lean burger meat (👎), I'm thinking I may have sticking problems at 500*.

Not necessarily. I read a Paul Prudhomme recipe, once, in which he lamented the fact that he couldn't convince people to heat their skillets before putting the meat in. He insisted that even with a (super lean) boneless chicken breast, you can season it, and with NO fat, just drop it on a hot skillet, even a stainless steel skillet (!), and ... if you wait till it's good and browned before trying to flip it, it will almost lift itself from the skillet. I tried it in a stainless steel skillet, and he was right! This isn't the original article, but it summarizes what I read, years ago.

I do find that I have to scrape my smash burgers up a bit, even though I very lightly oil the skillet before I put them in and smash them down, but usually they come up pretty easily.

But... all of that said, it just isn't possible to make lean burgers as good as burgers with some fat in them. Smashing them will help, sure, but I'd rather maybe have burgers less often but make really really good ones when I do. Up to you, obviously.

fishlessman · July 2019

i sharpened my smash burger spatula to a knife edge. i dont use oil, they wont char as well with oil

dldawes1 · July 2019

500F Smash’s on the BS last night....no sticking!!

SmokeyPitt · July 2019

Theophan said:

I have a question: What in blazes is the advantage of putting them on the griddle and not smashing them immediately? I hear some people on this forum saying that's the way they do it, and now I see that the recipe linked-to on the BGE website says to wait a minute or two before smashing them.

WHY???

What's the advantage? Far as I can see it only causes the outer parts to spend LESS time getting nice and crusty brown! I put one on, SMASH it. Put another one one, SMASH it... Works like a charm for me. Is there something I'm missing?

@Theophan I have wondered that as well. The only think I can think of is it does let the meatball warm up a little first. Even though only a small area of the meat sphere is in contact with the griddle, the rest of the ball is still getting radiant heat. Perhaps letting it warm up a little like that helps to get a more uniform patty by loosening things up and making the meat more malleable.

FWIW, I have only tried the true smash on the grill a couple of times and my patties came out in the shape of Texas, so now I pre-form them into patties and then smash them a little more on the griddle.

*Not that I have anything against Texas, just not the shape I was going for.

onpoint456 · July 2019

BeerMike said:

I didn’t have any sticking issues at 500*. Here is a picture of some smashed burgers on a Lodge 14 inch cast iron pizza pan.

What griddle do you have there? I'm in the market for something. Anything.

500 · July 2019

onpoint456 said:

BeerMike said:

I didn’t have any sticking issues at 500*. Here is a picture of some smashed burgers on a Lodge 14 inch cast iron pizza pan.

What griddle do you have there? I'm in the market for something. Anything.

He said it was a Lodge 14”. I found a 12” square CI griddle at Goodwill

onpoint456 · July 2019

500 said:

onpoint456 said:

BeerMike said:

I didn’t have any sticking issues at 500*. Here is a picture of some smashed burgers on a Lodge 14 inch cast iron pizza pan.

What griddle do you have there? I'm in the market for something. Anything.

He said it was a Lodge 14”. I found a 12” square CI griddle at Goodwill

Ah I completely missed that.

BeerMike · July 2019

onpoint456 said:

BeerMike said:

I didn’t have any sticking issues at 500*. Here is a picture of some smashed burgers on a Lodge 14 inch cast iron pizza pan.

What griddle do you have there? I'm in the market for something. Anything.

This griddle is the Lodge P14P3 14 inch Cast Iron Pizza Pan. I also use it to pan fry chicken breasts and so much more. You can’t go wrong with Lodge products. 😀

Theophan · July 2019

SmokeyPitt said:

@Theophan I have wondered that as well.... Perhaps letting it warm up a little like that helps to get a more uniform patty by loosening things up and making the meat more malleable.

... now I pre-form them into patties and then smash them a little more on the griddle....

Interesting -- thanks!

And I'm curious: when you pre-form the patties and only smash them a little more, do you still get that amazing browned surface all across the burger? I put them on round, like golf balls, maybe a little bigger, but yeah, sometimes after smashing they're kinda funky shapes.

Outdoorsman66 · September 2020

BeerMike said:

I didn’t have any sticking issues at 500*. Here is a picture of some smashed burgers on a Lodge 14 inch cast iron pizza pan.

Does the Egg lid close when you use that pan?

Outdoorsman66 · September 2020

Does the lid close when you use that?

500 · October 2020

I’m making Oklahoma Fried Onion Burgers today. Giving it a shot with 96/4 lean ground beef. Mrs. 500 overruled my suggestion of 80/20. Here is my inspiration to tackle this, (starts at 5:00 minute mark);
https://youtu.be/cdvZC91YpMs

pgprescott · October 2020

500 said:

I’m making Oklahoma Fried Onion Burgers today. Giving it a shot with 96/4 lean ground beef. Mrs. 500 overruled my suggestion of 80/20. Here is my inspiration to tackle this, (starts at 5:00 minute mark);
https://youtu.be/cdvZC91YpMs

I’d tell her it’s lean and go get the 80-20. That’s the whole point imo. The fat caramelizing the surface of the beef and keeping the very thin patties moist and loose. Diet smash burgers, huh?

500 · October 2020

I’m going to add a thin slather of mayo to the ball before grilling it. I can’t be doing a bait and switch of the lean beef. Happy wife = Happy life

thetrim · October 2020

I smash em before putting them on the griddle

500 · October 2020

Question; I’m going use a cast iron griddle on top of the main grid. Once I get it all heated up, if I get the dome to 500*, won’t that CI griddle be way hotter? I’m looking for 500* at the grid. What would the dome temp be to get there? Am I overthinking this?

shtgunal3 · October 2020

Yes, you are overthinking it. Get the dome to 500 and smash away. This is just one mans opinion though.

Mattman3969 · October 2020

Really hard to say. I use an infrared thermo. Most times don’t even close the dome after lighting the fire if I’m just using to sear over flames or in the cast iron.

Ozzie_Isaac · October 2020

Hmm, I prefer sticking. I get a real nice crust. Then use a sharp spatula to scrape off and flip.

I let the balls sit for a bit before smashing so they stick good with no sliding.

I do oil by burger press so it does not stick when smashing. I use bacon fat for that.

500 · October 2020

I had moderate success with the super lean 96/4 ground beef. Started with 5 Oz. balls, super thin sliced sweet onion, and American cheese. I slathered a small amount of Blue Plate Light Mayo on my meatball before grilling. Got a decent crust but it just wouldn’t press down enough to have a lacy edge like I wanted, I’m think because of how lean it was. But it had a great oniony flavor and cheese glued it all together. Mrs. 500 wasn’t interested in an Oklahoma Fried Onion Burger, so hers was topped with sautéed mushrooms and thin Swiss. Will try again with 80/20 on a day when we aren’t counting points.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5017260/uploads/editor/az/2kb870vuj6z8.jpeg

llrickman · October 2020

I have a 36'' Blackstone I do my smash burgers as hot as I can get that thing probably nearing 500º. I don't see any problem with that

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