Smash Burgers

Ingredients

• 4 hamburgers buns
• 2 tablespoons butter , softened, or as needed
• 1 pound ground chuck beef , 80% lean
• 4 squaress parchment paper , 6-inch
• salt to taste
• 4 slices American cheese
• burger toppings of choice

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat and lightly oil the grate. Set a cast iron flat-top griddle or large cast iron skillet onto the grill and preheat until smoking.

2. 2

   Spread butter on the inside of the buns and toast on the flat-top until lightly browned. Set aside.

3. 3

   Form meat into 8 loosely-packed balls, 2 ounces each. Do not pack the meat tightly, as this will prevent it from smashing properly. Place each ball on the hot flat-top, cover with a piece of parchment (to prevent sticking to the spatula; re-use each parchment square on a second patty) and immediately smash down to a 1/4 inch thickness using 2 stiff, sturdy spatulas that are criss-crossed to get proper leverage as you press down. You may also use the bottom of small skillet. Sprinkle the meat with salt.

4. 4

   Grill for about 45 seconds, until the edges are dark brown and the centers are a light pink color. Using a bench scraper or firm spatula, gently scrape up the patties, flip over and immediately cover 4 of them with cheese. Grill an additional 15 to 20 seconds; stack the plain patties over the cheese-covered patties so you have 4 stacks. Move each stack to a bun and serve with your favorite toppings.