Ultra-Crispy Double Smash Cheeseburger
Mise en Place / Ingredients[7]
- 0.75 lb 80/20 ground beef chuck, divided into four 2.5 oz balls
- 4 slices Real American cheese slices (Kraft Deli Deluxe)
- 2 buns Potato burger rolls (Martin's Potato Rolls)
- 2 tbsp Unsalted butter, softened (for toasting buns)
- 8 chips Dill pickle chips
- 1 tsp Kosher salt (Diamond Crystal)
- 0.5 tsp Freshly cracked black pepper
🛒 US Supermarket Brand Guide
Squishable, pillowy texture that yields cleanly to crispy meat. • 📍 Bread aisle.
Contains real cheese with emulsifying salts for glossy melt. • 📍 Dairy case.
Cooking Sequence & Checkpoints
Butter the cut sides of the 2 potato burger rolls with 2 tbsp softened butter and toast in the skillet until golden; set aside with 8 dill pickle chips on the bottom buns. Form cold 80/20 ground beef into 4 loose rough 2.5 oz balls without overworking.
✓ Checkpoint: Golden toasted buns and chilled loose beef spheres.
Place meatballs onto the dry smoking cast iron. Immediately smash down flat into thin wafers using a heavy rigid metal spatula and press.
✓ Checkpoint: Paper-thin beef welded to cast iron.
Season heavily with 1 tsp kosher salt and 0.5 tsp freshly cracked black pepper. Cook 2 minutes undisturbed until edges are dark and lace-like.
✓ Checkpoint: Lace-like browned edges.
Scrape firmly under the crust to release, flip, top each patty with a slice of American cheese until melted (reaching ≥160°F / 71°C internal temperature), and stack two patties per butter-toasted potato bun over the dill pickles.
✓ Checkpoint: Dripping, melted double cheeseburger.
🔬 Why It Works:
Smashing When Fat Is Solid: Smashing during the first 30 seconds when fat is still solid creates maximum metal contact for Maillard browning without forcing out melted juices.
⚠️ Troubleshooting:
Crust stays behind on skillet: Use a stiff, sharpened metal spatula and scrape with authority against the iron.