Garlic Punch Smash Burgers

Smash it thin, crust it hard, stack it high. Black pepper leads, garlic follows close, and the brown sugar in the blend helps that lacy crust happen.

Serves: 4 · Prep: 10 min · Cook: 12 min · Total: 22 min

Ingredients

• 1½ lb 80/20 ground beef, cold, divided into 8 loose 3-oz balls
• 1½ tsp Garlic Punch Pepper
• ¼ tsp kosher salt
• 8 slices American cheese
• 4 potato buns, buttered and toasted
• Dill pickle chips, thin-sliced onion and your burger sauce

Steps

1. Mix the Garlic Punch and kosher salt in a small bowl. Heat a cast-iron griddle or skillet over high heat until it is ripping hot, about 5 minutes.
2. Working 2 to 4 at a time, set the beef balls on the griddle and smash each one flat and thin with a sturdy spatula (a square of parchment on top keeps it from sticking).
3. Sprinkle the tops evenly with the Garlic Punch mix. Cook about 2 minutes without moving, until the edges are deeply browned and lacy.
4. Scrape under each patty, flip, add a slice of cheese and cook 1 minute more, until the cheese melts and the beef shows no pink (160°F).
5. Stack two patties per toasted bun and finish with pickles, onion and sauce.

A word on salt

Garlic Punch lists salt third, behind pepper and garlic, so a small pinch of kosher salt rounds it out. Skip it if your cheese and pickles are on the salty side.

Safe temps

Ground beef: 160°F (USDA).

Swap it

During the Vault, give each patty a big pinch of Big Steak Pepper instead and skip the added salt.

Photo: Christopher Stites on Unsplash