Smashburgers

Smashburgers  are all the rage. You know the kind – smashed flat with a crispy edge all the way around and many times layered with cheese and toppings and stacked upon each other as a double or even a triple. 

Smashburgers are the perfect burgers to serve in a food truck because it cooks quickly and you can have the griddled lined up with patties that will cook in 3-4 minutes.

Animales Burger Co is the king of smash burgers in the Twin Cities. Jon Wipfli started out as a caterer, and an author “The Venison Cookbook” and was great with the Barbeque. His first Foodtruck Animales Barbeque received critical acclaim around the Twin Cities for his Pastrami and his Brisket. Located at Able Brewing Company it was the perfect spot to grab a picnic bench and a beer and a rack of ribs. In 2019 Jon hosted a “McJonimals” Burger day at the truck and it was a huge hit so in 2022 they decided to move the barbeque truck to Bahaus Brew Labs large outdoor area and they started the Burger Truck in their original location at Able Brewing. Minneapolis St Paul Magazine included the truck in their round-up of fifty best restaurants.

The Animales Burgers come as singles, doubles, or triples and they are served with a slice of white cheese and vinegary homemade pickles on brioche buns. The key to the Smashburger according to Jon is lots of salt and pepper, the perfect tool for smashing, the right grind, and patience! We had an opportunity to learn firsthand how he is crafting the best Smashburger in the Twin Cities with his gold sauce and recreate it at home.

Here is our recipe and our Scrumptious Sauce

Smashburgers with Scrumptious Sauce

Yield: 4 Burgers

Animales Burgers in NE Minneapolis has the best smash burgers but with a little technique you can also make them at home

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Ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef 80/20 divided into 4 portions about 4oz each
• Salt, added to taste
• Course ground black pepper
• 4 slices cheese
• 4 Brioche Buns
• 4 teaspoons of butter for the buns
• Thinly sliced pickles

Scrumptious sauce

• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 1 Tbsp ketchup
• 2 teaspoons mustard
• 1 teaspoon Dill pickle brine
• 4 dashes of hot sauce

Instructions

1. Divide 1 lb of ground beef into 4 equal portions (4 oz each),
2. Roll meat into a ball and cover, and refrigerate until ready to cook.
3. Turn griddle to medium-high heat
4. Griddle the butter buns until browned
5. Place cold meatball onto the griddle
6. Working quickly, cover each piece with a sheet of parchment paper and smash each into a thin patty.
7. Remove parchment paper and liberally season with salt, pepper
8. Sear for 2 minutes (do not peek) on the first side and about a minute on the second side
9. Top with scrumptious sauce

To make Scrumptious Sauce

1. Combine ingredients and mix well

Notes

1. To get the perfect burger use an 80/20 grind

2. Use parchment squares to separate the smashed burger from the spatula it also helps to insulate and steam the burger

3. Smash with a flat metal spatula weighted with another to get the right amount of smash pressure

4. Use plenty of Salt and pepper

5. Finish with a toasted brioche bun and plenty of vinegary pickles to cut the fat of the burger