The Secret to Perfecting the Reuben Smashburger
Not too much to a recipe on this one. We took the Tri Tip pastrami we made in the previous episode and ground it up, made patties and cooked them up in a Reuben type burger. Here is the link to the episode where we made the pastrami, and it’s recipe (minus applying the rub and chucking it on the smoker, because in this recipe it is ground up before cooking) is below.
Things to know:
What is the traditional sauce used in a Reuben sandwich?
The traditional sauce for a Reuben sandwich is Russian dressing, a creamy, tangy condiment typically made from a mayonnaise base mixed with ketchup or chili sauce, minced onion, and seasonings like paprika, with horseradish often added for extra kick, though some versions use Thousand Island dressing interchangeably.
What is so special about smash burgers?
Smashing the ground beef (or other meat) into a hot griddle creates a thin patty with incredible crispy, lacy edges and maximum flavor with it’s deeply caramelized, savory crust through the Maillard reaction.
What is the Maillard reaction?
A complex, non-enzymatic chemical process between amino acids and reducing sugars that occurs when food is heated, creating browning, desirable flavors, and aromas.
What is the secret to smash burgers?
We believe the keys are starting with a 4 oz ball of ground meat. This will yield a patty that will cover your entire burger bun and extend over the edges, but not too much. The second key is to press the patty into a hot griddle for about 10 seconds. This maximizes the contact and gets you the Maillard reaction you are looking for to produce that incredible crust. The third key, a key to ALL burgers, is to generously season the burger! Our go to is equal parts coarse sea salt, coarse ground black pepper, onion powder and garlic powder.
Ingredients
For 4 smashburgers
2 pounds ground raw corned beef (we used our homemade try tip corned beef)
8 slices Swiss cheese
4 hamburger buns, toasted (if you can find rye buns, all the better!)
Thousand island dressing
sauerkraut (we love Saverne brand)
1. Form the ground corned beef into 8 4 oz. balls.
2. Heat your griddle to medium heat. Melt the tallow on the grill, then place the balls of meat on the griddle and SMASH HULK SMASH! You would normally season the smashed patty at this point, but because the corned beef has been thoroughly brined, no additional seasoning is needed.
3. Once you see the craggy edges begin to crisp, carefully flip the burger and top with a piece of Swiss cheese.
4. After about 3-5 minutes, double stack your patties and remove from the griddle. Toast your buns.
5. On the bottom bun, add thousand island dressing, top with sauerkraut, then the patties and the lid.
6. Serve and ENJOY!
Equipment used:
Blackstone Griddle
Cabelas Meat Grinder
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