<https://www.mensjournal.com/food-drink/the-art-of-the-pan-fried-burger-20150923/#article>
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"J. Kenji López-Alt may be best known for his column on Serious Eats, where he demystifies food one dish at a time, with methodical, detailed attention to techniques. His book, The Food Lab, takes on an encyclopedic array of cooking methods (think The Joy of Cooking rewritten by a mad scientist).\r\n\r\n[ami-related id=\"21611\" title=\"RELATED: Off-Menu Items: The Worst Kept Secret in Food\" target=\"\" showsubt=\"false\" url=\"https://www.mensjournal.com/food-drink/off-menu-items-the-worst-kept-secret-in-food-20150909/\" thumb=\"true\" imgsrc=\"https://www.mensjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/mj-390_294_tk-secret-menu.jpg\"]\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nHis chapter on burgers covers everything from grinding your own meat to a low-temperature sous-vide cooking method. For the home cook who's not quite that adventurous, here's a recipe for a classic spatula-smashed cheeseburger that will give Shake Shack a run for their money.\r\n\r\nThe Food Lab's Classic Diner-Style Smashed Cheeseburgers\r\n\r\nIngredients for 4 burgers\r\n\r\n \t1 pound freshly ground beef (store-bought or home-ground)\r\n \t4 soft hamburger buns, preferably Martin’s Potato Sandwich Rolls\r\n \t2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted\r\n \tVegetable oil\r\n \tKosher salt and freshly ground black pepper\r\n \t4 deli-cut slices American cheese\r\n \tSliced onions, pickles, tomatoes, and fry sauce for topping\r\n\r\nDirections\r\n\r\n \tDivide the meat into 4 even portions and form into pucks about 2 inches high and 2 ½ inches wide. Refrigerate until ready to use.\r\n \tOpen the buns but do not split the hinges. Brush lightly with the butter, then toast under a hot broiler or in toaster oven until golden brown, about 1 minute. Set aside.\r\n \tUsing a wadded-up paper towel, rub the inside of a 12-inch heavy-bottomed stainless steel or cast-iron skillet with vegetable oil, then heat over medium-high heat until just beginning to smoke. Season the beef pucks on the top with salt and pepper, then place seasoned side down in the skillet. Using a wide heavy spatula, press down on each one until it is roughly 4 to 4 1/2 inches in diameter and 1/2 inch thick; it helps to use a second spatula to apply pressure on the first one. Season the tops with salt and pepper. Cook, without moving the burgers, until a golden brown crust develops on the bottom, about 1 ½ minutes. Use the edge of the spatula to carefully scrape up the patties one at a time, making sure to get all the browned bits. If using onions, add to the tops of the burgers, then cover each with a cheese slice. Continue to cook until the patties are the desired doneness—about 30 seconds longer for medium-rare.\r\n \tTop the buns and/or patties as desired, transfer the patties to the buns, close the burgers, and serve.\r\n\r\nIngredients for 2/3 cup of fry sauce\r\n\r\n \t6 cup mayonnaise\r\n \t2 tablespoons ketchup\r\n \t1 tablespoon yellow mustard\r\n \t1 tablespoon kosher dill pickle juice\r\n \t1 teaspoon sugar\r\n \tPinch of cayenne pepper\r\n\r\nDirections\r\n\r\n \tCombine all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk until smooth. The sauce will keep in a covered container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.\r\n\r\nExcerpted from The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science by Kenji Lopez-Alt. Copyright © 2015 by J. Kenji López-Alt. With permission of the publisher, W. W. Norton &amp; Company, Inc. All rights reserved."
<https://www.mensjournal.com/food-drink/the-art-of-the-pan-fried-burger-20150923/>