American
The Classic Cheeseburger
Smash-seared for maximum crust, American cheese for maximum melt — from A Guide to American Gastronomy.
Recipe by Cyman Huang
Cooked, styled and photographed in his kitchen.
The American cheeseburger is one of the great contributions of the 20th century to world cuisine, and the smash burger is its highest expression. By pressing a loose ball of 80/20 ground beef aggressively onto a screaming-hot griddle or cast iron surface, you maximize the surface area in contact with the heat.
The result is the most glorious, lacy-edged, deeply caramelized crust imaginable. Add a single slice of American cheese for its unparalleled melt, a toasted potato bun and your preferred sauce, and you have something truly magnificent.
Watch it come together
Ingredients
For the burgers
- 1½ lbs 80/20 ground beef (NOT extra lean)
- Kosher salt & coarsely cracked black pepper
- 4 slices American cheese
- 4 sesame hamburger buns
- 2 tbsp neutral oil or clarified butter
Special sauce
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp ketchup
- 1 tbsp yellow mustard
- 2 tbsp sweet pickle relish
- 1 tsp white wine vinegar
- ½ tsp onion powder
Toppings
- Green leaf lettuce
- Thin-sliced white onion
- Sliced dill pickles
- Thin-sliced tomato
Method
- 1
MAKE THE SAUCE: Combine all sauce ingredients in a bowl, whisk together and refrigerate until needed. This gets better as it sits.
- 2
PREP THE PATTIES: Loosely divide the beef into 4 portions (about 6 oz each). Do not compact them into neat discs — keep them as loose balls. Season generously with salt and pepper just before cooking.
- 3
HEAT THE PAN: Place a cast iron skillet or heavy griddle over high heat for 3–4 minutes until smoking hot. Add a thin film of oil.
- 4
SMASH: Add one loose beef ball to the pan. Immediately use the back of a heavy spatula to smash it flat to about ¼-inch thick. Press hard. Hold for 15 seconds. Season the top with salt and pepper. Do not touch it for 2–3 minutes, until the edges are crispy and the top shows cooked color halfway up.
- 5
CHEESE & FLIP: Place a slice of American cheese on the patty. Scrape under the burger and flip in one decisive motion. Cook another 30–45 seconds. Remove.
- 6
TOAST & BUILD: Toast the buns cut-side down in the pan. Spread sauce on both bun halves. Layer lettuce on the bottom, then tomato, then the patty (cheese-side up), then onion and pickles. Put the top on. Eat immediately.
Substitutions
- Chef's Tip: Do NOT season the beef before forming, and especially not before adding it to the pan — salt draws out moisture and prevents the crust from forming. Season the surface of the patty only after it hits the hot pan.
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Buffalo Wings
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Two legendary styles — chilled Maine mayo and warm Connecticut butter — from A Guide to American Gastronomy.