This is inspired by a deep memory of mine from childhood. Watching Guy Fieri devour tons of unhealthy food led to my obsession with fun and interesting burgers. There was a burger topped with a handful of shredded cheese, and that was such a freakin cool concept to me. The cheese melted onto the flattop to form a crispy skirt. This is a slightly different take on that, but an insanely delicious burger nonetheless.
Ingredients
50g shredded cheddar cheese
40g evaporated milk
2 pinches of sodium citrate
4oz burger patty (80/20 ground chuck)
Salt and pepper
Normal burger toppings and accoutrement of your choosing (buns, pickles, onions, condiments)
Start by balling and measuring your ground chuck into the 4oz balls. This is a good time to prep any burger toppings and shred your 50g of cheddar cheese. On the stove set a heavy pan, like a cast iron, to medium high heat and begin to toast your buns in the pan. I like to use oil instead of butter here, as you can use this same pan to cook the burger without needing to wipe it out.
To a small saucepot, add your cheese, evaporated milk, and sodium citrate. Place the pot over medium low heat and stir until the cheese has melted into a smooth sauce. Once the buns are toasted, the pan should be smoking hot enough to cook the patty. Season your patty with salt and pepper then place it into the smoking hot pan. Smash it into the pan with a spatula or smaller pan and let it form a slight crust, but flip it before it's cooked all the way through like some smash patties.
For this, it's nice to have a little height to the patty so the cheese sauce has time to crisp in the pan. Pour all of the cheese sauce on top of the burger and let it run evenly around the edges. Turn the heat down to medium low and let the liquid in the cheese sauce evaporate. Keep an eye on the cheese browning on the pan, and turn the heat down to make sure things don't burn. You can scrape some of the cheese back onto the burger if it will help you remove it from the pan.
Take the patty out once the cheese has turned nice and crispy and then top your burger however you like. In my opinion, this burger needs pickles and mustard to cut through the rich fattiness from the cheesy burger, but you do you. Enjoy this fun and delicious new way to make a smashed cheeseburger.
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