Smash Burger (Burger Sauce)

I love burgers more than anything else. They're just handfuls of perfection. They hit every textural note I'm craving. If I go to a restaurant, the first area I scan is the burger selection. It's just so satisfying, rolling that tender juicy meat around in your mouth, coated with creamy cheese, a zesty sauce, buttered bun... maybe some toppings, maybe not. I love over-the-top burgers and I love simple burgers. These are the best homemade smash burgers, period. The Burger Juice is what makes these burgers so amazing.

Burger Juice:
½ stick butter, melted
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
½ Tbsp. fish sauce, for a great depth of flavour
a few dashes liquid smoke

Burgers:
1 lb ground chuck (80/20)
sea salt
black pepper, freshly ground
cheese, such as cheddar, Swiss or blue cheese
3-4 brioche buns, buttered and toasted

Burger Sauce:
¼ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup ketchup
¼ cup spicy brown mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. white vinegar
⅛ tsp. cayenne pepper
⅛ tsp. smoked paprika
sea salt
black pepper, freshly ground
pinch sugar

Toppings:
onion slices
pickles

Mix all ingredients for the burger sauce and set aside in the fridge.

Mix all the Burger Juice ingredients together in a small bowl. In another medium-sized bowl add the beef. Pour the Burger Juice into the beef, and gently break it up with a spoon or your hands and GENTLY mix thoroughly. Do not over-work your meat, be very gentle with it. Once it's thoroughly mixed, scoop into 3-4 oz sized balls. Cover the burger balls with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of a half hour. You want the meat to be super cold. You could also pop into your freezer for about 15 minutes.

When ready to cook, heat a large cast iron skillet over high heat until SUPER HOT. Drop a tiny sprinkle of water to test it, if it immediately sizzles and bounces around and disappears, it's ready. No need to add oil, there's plenty of fat in the burger. Remove your burgers from the fridge or freezer and sprinkle them with kosher salt and pepper.

Place about 3-4 balls in the skillet, leaving room for them to be smashed down. After 30 seconds of searing, smash them all the way down until they can't be smashed anymore, with a large heavy skillet. Leave them alone and let them cook for about 3-4 minutes, or when the edges start to turn brown. Flip them over and immediately place a slice of cheese on top of each patty. When the cheese melts, they're ready, about 1-2 minutes longer.

Build your burger by spreading the burger sauce on the bottom of the bun. Then add pickles, the burger, onion slices and the top half of the bun.

Makes 3-4 servings.