How George Motz Makes NYC's Best Smash Burgers at Hamburger America

The Art of the Smash Burger

• 🍔 George Motz, owner of Hamburger America, defines the smash burger as the original American hamburger, characterized by its simple preparation method.
• 🔑 The perfect smash burger relies on just four key ingredients: beef, cheese, bun, and seasoning, combined with correct technique.
• 💡 For home cooks, a cast iron pan with good ventilation is recommended for achieving similar results to a flat-top grill.

Crafting the Classic Smash Burger

• 🥩 Motz emphasizes using 75/25 ground chuck for its ideal fat-to-muscle ratio, resembling sausage meat for optimal smashing.
• 🍳 The beef is portioned with an ice cream scoop, then smashed onto a 360° flat-top grill for about 20 seconds to prevent sticking and create a crust.
• 🧂 Seasoning is applied during cooking using a blend like Lawry's Seasoned Salt, as pre-seasoning can toughen the meat.
• ♨️ Bubbles indicate readiness for flipping; the patty should still have pink before flipping to avoid overcooking.
• 🧀 American cheese is used for its melting properties, and covering the burger helps it melt faster.
• 🍞 Martin potato rolls are chosen for their density and are toasted, with the bun's yeast aroma being a crucial sensory element.
• 📍 The classic topping combination is mustard, onion, and pickle (MOP), with ketchup being optional.

The Oklahoma Fried Onion Burger

• 🧅 This burger involves pressing paper-thin sweet onions into a salted ball of beef, a technique originating from a 1922 El Reno, Oklahoma strike.
• ⏳ Unlike the quick-cooking smash burger, the onion burger is a slow cooker, allowing onions to caramelize within the beef tallow.
• 🧀 Traditionally, Oklahoma onion burgers are served without cheese, though it's a modern addition.
• ♨️ The onions act as an insulator, helping to prevent overcooking the beef patty and keeping it moist.
• 🤏 The "pinch and pull" technique is used for speed, serving the burger with pickles on the side rather than on top.

The Chester: A Hometown Classic

• 🥪 "The Chester" is described as a hamburger on white bread, akin to a grilled cheese with a patty inside, originating from drunk teenagers in 1973 who lacked buns.
• 🧈 It involves rendering butter on the flat top and grilling the white bread like a grilled cheese, then adding the cooked patty.
• ⚠️ Motz highlights the need to manage different cooking temperatures for the grilled cheese and the burger patty to achieve the best result.
• 🏖️ This off-menu item, a personal favorite from Motz's childhood, offers a predictable and comforting taste experience.