The Science Is There: You Should Be Smashing Your Burgers
Smash burgers are having a moment. Within the last couple of years, they have infiltrated restaurant menus in the best way. Now, you're hard-pressed to find a burger joint that doesn't have a smash burger on the menu — and some restaurants have replaced their standard option altogether in favor of jumping on the current trend.
These thin, yet juicy, burger patties are typically paired between a bun and loaded with pickles, lettuce, cheese, and some kind of special sauce. The burgers are made by being shaped into balls, then "smashed" or pressed down with a burger press while they cook, turning them into a patty that's less than half an inch thick. For a while, though, pressing burgers as they cooked was seen as a culinary disgrace, which explains why restaurants were hesitant for so long. However, there actually is science behind a smash burger's flavor; pressing it into the grill gives it more surface area for that tasty caramelization, known as the Maillard reaction — and ultimately, more flavor.
Smash burgers allow for a greater Maillard reaction
You might have heard the expression that food is a science — and it's true. The cooking process has plenty of science behind it, from something as simple as how heat cooks meat to more complex concepts, such as the Maillard reaction.
When it comes to making burgers, pressing the patty on the heated surface creates a greater area for the heat to react to the meat's outer layer. When this happens, amino acids react with sugars, creating hundreds of unique flavor compounds that help add flavor to the overall patty; it also gives the exterior a crispy coating compared to the softer interior. This is known as the Maillard reaction. Traditional patties have less surface area than smash burgers, meaning they get less of this caramelization process. To properly prepare the smash burger, press it against the heated grill as soon as it hits the heat; otherwise, you risk releasing its juices as it cooks.
Why did it take so long for smash burgers to become popular?
The smash burger moment is long overdue, but that's mostly because it's not a traditional way of preparing a burger — and its method wasn't always what professional chefs recommended.
Gordon Ramsay's method for what he considers a perfect burger doesn't incorporate pressing it at all; actually, it involves hardly touching it. "The secret is to move it as less as possible," Ramsay told Mirror. "The more you move it, the more chance you've got of breaking the burger." However, even the Michelin-starred chef has come around, offering up his own version of a delicious smash burger.
Some chefs also argue that pressing the burger on the grill releases the juices, leaving you with a dry patty, but anyone who has consumed a smash burger knows they're anything but. These thin, well-seasoned burgers are cooked to perfection and enhanced with plenty of toppings for a flavorful new twist on a boring beef patty.