Texas toast smashburgers

Makes: 4 smashburgers
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 13 minutes, plus 1 hour to cool

INGREDIENTS

• 1.5–2 lb (675–900g)
• ground beef (no leaner than 75%)
• 1 medium white onion,very thinly sliced (see Note)
  Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 8 slices American or cheddar cheese

Texas toast:

• ½ cup (112g) salted butter, softened
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 3 tbsp (9g) finely chopped parsley
• 1 medium loaf white bread, cut into 8¾-in-thick (1.9cm) slices

Burger sauce:

• ½ cup (115g) mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp (75g) Dijon mustard
• 2½ tsp (12g) sugar
• 2 tbsp (30ml) Valentina hot sauce
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

METHOD

1. To begin making the Texas toast, preheat a grill pan or a grill to medium heat.
   
   
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the butter, garlic, and parsley. Spread the garlic butter over both sides of each slice of white bread. Grill the bread slices for 2 to 3 minutes per side or until nicely toasted. (Alternatively, place the bread slices on a baking sheet and broil each side for about 3 minutes or until toasted and crisp.) Set aside.
   
   
3. To make the burger sauce, in a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, sugar, and hot sauce. Stir until combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.
   
   
4. Divide the beef into 8 evenly sized pieces, about 2½ to 3 ounces (71g–85g) each. Form each piece into a ball.
   
   
5. Generously sauce one side of two slices of toast.
   
   
6. Generously coat a 12-inch (30.5cm) cast-iron skillet with cooking spray and preheat over medium-high heat. Place 2 beef balls in the hot skillet, leaving at least 3 inches (7.6cm) between the balls. Top a ball with a small mound of white onion and then smash the ball with a flat spatula or a burger press until it’s slightly less than ¼-inch (0.7cm) thick. Season the patty with salt and pepper, and sear for 45 seconds. Flip the patty and season again with salt and pepper. Top with a slice of American or cheddar cheese and let it melt. When the cheese is melted, the patty is cooked.
   
   
7. Remove it from the pan and place it on the toasted and sauced bottom piece of toast. Repeat the process with the other patty and then top the first patty with the second. (This works best when done on a large griddle so you can cook patties for multiple burgers simultaneously.) Top the patties with the sauced side of the second slice of toast. Repeat with all the remaining patties and toast. Enjoy immediately.

Note:

The onion needs to be sliced extremely thin—like ⅛ inch (4mm)—to really get the full effect of this burger. My suggestion would be to use a mandoline to slice the onion and achieve thin and even slices.