Help me improve my smash burgers!

[BAPyessir6]

As most know, I just got a 17 in Blackstone! I made smash burgers today, and they turned out good, but I was struggling to get crispy edges. Here is what I did and please tell me where I can improve.

4 oz patties, room temperature, seasoned with garlic powder, black pepper, dehydrated pickle powder.
Blackstone heated for 5 minutes to 450 F (measured with infrared thermometer.). Kept pretty consistent (dropped to 425 once) during cook.
Put 5 patties on at a time, smashed with cast iron burger press, cooked 3 minutes on one side, flipped then cheesed then 2 minutes on opposite side.
Did NOT scrape Blackstone as I cooked or worried about oil and thus burger grease acculimated while I cooked to about 1/2 in grease. (I fried up 5 lb. burgers, 20 burgers in total, so we can have them to eat for the week).

Did I overcrowd the pan, or is having a large amount of grease accumulated inhibit browning/crusting of burger? Do I need hotter temp?
It wasn't that windy, do I don't think by Blackstone blew out (also I'm on a patio that's walled on 3 sides).

I also used 2 different American cheeses, which is why some burgers look different. Cooked all burgers to 162 internal.

 

[dragnlaw]

Try getting rid of the excess fat next time - that for sure will inhibit browning edges.

 

[caseydog]

George Motz recommends tapering the edges down on your patties as you smash them so that the edges are thinner than the centers. I do that now.

I don't think that the fat is the problem. Water in meat prevents browning, not fat. You may be getting a pool of fat and water, which you can push away between batches of burgers.

The sweet spot on your single burner griddle could make your burgers cook inconsistently, but if so, the ones in the center should be good, and the ones near the edges maybe not so good. Use your IR thermometer to find the hot and cool spots on your griddle, and pick your spots accordingly.

Four ounce patties are fine, but I wouldn't go any bigger than that for smash burgers meant for a standard HB bun. I use three ounce balls of meat. If I want more meat on my burger, I do two patties and stack them on the bun.

Keep playing with your new toy. You'll figure out what works.

CD

 

[BAPyessir6]

It does? I didn't know that. I wonder why, I figured the Maillard reaction would take place anyway. Do you think it's because the "grease" coming off the burgers probably includes water and water's only 212 F., way too cool for browning to take place?

 

[caseydog]

It does? I didn't know that. I wonder why, I figured the Maillard reaction would take place anyway. Do you think it's because the "grease" coming off the burgers probably includes water and water's only 212 F., way too cool for browning to take place?

If you plop a pound of ground beef into a pan, it is not going to brown until the water evaporates. Until then, you are steaming the beef. Same goes with burgers, although a lot faster. I don't know if that is what is happening to your burgers, or not. But, fat does not have the same effect.

How many burgers are you cooking at one time? Do the burgers directly over the griddle burners cook the same as the ones on the sides? That is where I would focus my "investigation." Use that IR thermometer to find where the hotter areas and cooler areas are.

I'd also try that George Motz tapering thing. I rock my burger press around to make the edges of the patties really thin. It creates that crispy, kind of lacy effect.

George Motz - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

CD

 

[BAPyessir6]

Cool! I was cooking 5 or 6 burgers per time, so I'm assuming I overcrowded the pan?

 

[caseydog]

Cool! I was cooking 5 or 6 burgers per time, so I'm assuming I overcrowded the pan?

Could be. Do some testing for hot and cool zones to know for sure.

CD

 

[BAPyessir6]

Okay! I guess I'm not used to hot and cool zones on gas powered things as on my stove everything is the same temp (as my pots/pans are burner sized, and with charcoal I make my own hot and cold zones.). New things to learn! This is why I love cooking!

 

[dragnlaw]

If you do cook multiple burgers at once you could also try rotating them around so that each has a couple of turns on the "sweet spot".

 

[caseydog]

Okay! I guess I'm not used to hot and cool zones on gas powered things as on my stove everything is the same temp (as my pots/pans are burner sized, and with charcoal I make my own hot and cold zones.). New things to learn! This is why I love cooking!

Turn your griddle on, and set the knob at medium heat. Let it get to a stable temp, and take readings at different spots on the griddle surface. You should find the center, right above the burners is hotter than the rest, with the coolest areas being near the edges and corners. Make a mental note of that. You can move food around those zones as you cook to control cooking, sort of like moving a pan on and off of a burner on your stove.

CD