Coast Packing Shows How to Make Father's Day Burgers a Total Smash

News provided by

Coast Packing

Jun 18, 2023, 18:00 ET

Holiday Recipe Greets Summer with a New Take on the Art of the Cheeseburger

VERNON, Calif., June 18, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Why just grill a hamburger when you can smash it?

That's the 640-calorie question this Father's Day as Greg Hozinsky, Corporate Chef for Coast Packing, the number one supplier of animal fat shortenings in the Western United States, serves up a delectable recipe for smash burgers.

"Smash burgers are a personal favorite and, when done right, they really do melt in your mouth," Chef Greg said. "For starters, home cooks need the right kind of meat. You don't want to use lean ground beef, but at least an 80/20 blend, or even better 75/25 (the percentage of lean meat and fat content). Second, make sure the ground beef is very fresh, never frozen, and it must be a loose grind. You want to see the shape the grinder left behind. With pre-packaged ground beef, the proteins typically are developed, making it impossible to smash properly."

Chef Greg suggests investing in a simple smash burger pressing tool, which is affordable and readily available online. Using a spatula doesn't yield an even press. In a pinch, use the bottom of a small frying pan, though pans are bulky and tend to be hard to work with. While it's tempting to want to be fancy when preparing smash burgers, less is more. Keep it simple; find high quality American cheese for this burger -- it just melts better and delivers the right flavor profile for a well-balanced dish. Again, a smash burger should melt in your mouth, so use a nice soft bun of moderate size.

Smash burgers cook fast so don't worry if you can cook only a few at a time. Have fun with this and Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there!

Recipe
Special Sauce ingredients
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon ketchup
2 teaspoons stone ground mustard
2 teaspoons sweet relish
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon champagne or white wine vinegar
pinch cayenne (optional)

  • Mix ingredients well in a small bowl.
  • Set in the fridge for at least 1 hour to set up.

Smash burger ingredients
1 1/2 pound loose ground beef 80/20 blend or even 75/85
8 slices high quality American cheese; splurge on the good stuff!
4 slices beefsteak tomato, about 1/4 inch thick
8 slices dill pickles, chips
2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
1/4 cup of thinly sliced sweet yellow onion
6 Tablespoons Special sauce
4 each 4" buns (brioche or soft potato bun recommended)
3-4 Tablespoons beef tallow
salt and pepper to taste

  • Preheat griddle or large pan; it should be searing hot, around 425-450 degrees
  • Divide ground beef into 3 oz loose balls.
  • Season each ball with a little salt and pepper
  • Use about 1 tablespoon of tallow to lubricate the griddle; use the spatula to spread it around evenly
  • Place ground beef balls onto the griddle, leaving adequate space around it for smashing (ideally, at least 6 inches between each burger)
  • Use smashing tool to firmly and evenly press down on each ball, to about 1/4 inch; a small amount of tallow on the flat side of the tool will help the burgers release and not stick. Hold each burger down for about 5 seconds, then slowly remove the smashing press. Season with a little more salt and pepper. Cook for about 1 1/2 - 2 minutes, then use a large spatula to flip. If done right, a deep caramelized crust will result. Wait about 30 seconds after flipping, then add one slice of cheese on each burger patty. The American cheese will melt quickly; once melted, stack patties on one another and place onto prepared buns.
  • To prepare buns, simply add a little more tallow to the griddle and place the cut side of each part of the bun on the griddle until golden brown and toasted.
  • Build the burger with preferred toppings; but for the sake of this recipe, start by placing shredded lettuce on the bottom bun, followed by one slice of tomato, then the 2 smash burger patties, 2 pickles, sliced onion; spread about 1 1/2 tablespoons of special sauce around the top bun only. Eat while hot with some tallow fries, tallow potato chips and extra pickles. Enjoy!!

About Coast Packing Company
Now marking its 101st year in business, Coast Packing Company (http://www.coastpacking.com), a closely held corporation, is the number one supplier of animal fat shortenings – particularly lard and beef tallow -- in the Western United States. The company sells to major manufacturers, CPG companies, QSR and fast-food restaurant chains, broadline food service distributors, retailers, smaller food service operations, and leading bakeries. The company participates actively in diverse ethnic markets – from Hispanic retail chains, with its VIVA® brand, to various Asian specialty markets. Based in Vernon, Calif., Coast Packing Company is regional, national and, increasingly, global. In some cases, relationships are multigenerational, extending back 50 years and more. Coast is a founding member of the Healthy Fats Coalition (http://www.healthyfatscoalition.org/).

For more information about Coast Packing Company, visit: http://www.coastpacking.com. Follow us via social media on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/coastpackingco, Twitter @coastpackingco and Pinterest http://www.pinterest.com/coastpackingco.

Media Contact

Ken Greenberg, Edge Communications, Inc., 1 818-451-9027, ken@edgecommunicationsinc.com

SOURCE Coast Packing