Description
Ina Garten’s smashed hamburgers with caramelized onions create a mouthwatering masterpiece of culinary delight. Savory beef patties and sweet caramelized onions combine to deliver a classic American burger experience you’ll crave again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1.25 lbs (570 g) ground beef (20% fat)
- 4 sandwich potato rolls (Martin’s)
- 1.25 cups (115 g) Gruyère cheese, grated
- 4 cups (1 liter) red onions, sliced (2 medium)
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1.5 tsp dry mustard powder (Colman’s)
- Canola or grapeseed oil
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper, freshly ground
- Ketchup, for serving
Instructions
- Caramelize Onions: In a spacious sauté pan, heat oil over medium temperature. Stir onions periodically, allowing them to soften and develop a rich golden color over 18-20 minutes. Sprinkle sugar, reduce heat to low, and continue cooking for 10-12 minutes until onions reach a deep mahogany shade. Deglaze with vinegar, scraping up browned bits.
- Prepare Patties: Combine dry mustard, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl. Gently incorporate the spice blend into ground beef, forming four uniform patties. Chill patties in the freezer for 15 minutes to maintain structural integrity.
- Sear Burgers: Preheat cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat with oil. Place frozen patties in the hot pan, using a metal spatula to press and create a crisp exterior. Cook undisturbed for 2½-3 minutes to develop a robust crust.
- Finish Cooking: Flip patties, immediately top with caramelized onions and Gruyère cheese. Cover skillet and cook for 1½-2 minutes until cheese melts and meat reaches medium-rare consistency.
- Serve: Transfer burgers to prepared rolls, accompanying with ketchup for additional flavor enhancement.
Notes
- Chill Patties for Crispiness: Freezing the seasoned beef for exactly 15 minutes helps maintain structural integrity and creates a perfectly crisp exterior when searing.
- Patience with Caramelization: Low and slow cooking is crucial for transforming onions into a rich, golden delicacy – don’t rush the process to achieve deep, mahogany color.
- Avoid Burger Disturbance: Let patties develop a robust crust by not moving them in the hot skillet during initial cooking – this ensures maximum flavor and textural development.
- Cheese Melting Technique: Use a covered skillet for the final cooking stage to guarantee complete cheese melting and proper burger doneness.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Snacks
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 600
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 38 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 20 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 100 mg