Adam Walton - Smashed: 60 Epic Smash Burgers and Sandwiches for Dinner, for Lunch, and Even for Breakfast—For Your Outdoor Griddle, Grill, or Skillet

60 EPIC SMASH BURGERS & SANDWICHES

for Dinner, for Lunch, and Even for BreakfastFor Your Outdoor Griddle, Grill, or Skillet

ADAM & BRETT WALTON

Hello and welcome back to the WALTWINS Backyard Diner! Today, were serving up some of our absolute favorite smashed and pressed recipes! From the first time we ever had a smashed burgerat the time we didnt even know thats what they wereat a favorite family joint called Ripples Drive In in Provo, Utah, weve been hooked on these thin, flavor-packed all beef patties! Once we learned to make them for ourselves on the griddle, we instantly found new ways to prepare this classic and developed a whole books worth of smashed recipes to share with you! But we didnt stop at just beef smash burgers, we also wanted to include a variety of meats, pressed sandwiches and wraps, and breakfast bites we know youll love!

Within the pages of this book, you will find a huge assortment of handheld culinary delights. We knew that if you simply SMASHED EVERYTHING, thered be something for everyone to enjoy! From burgers, to burritos, to donut buns and more, your culinary toolbox is about to expand beyond what you ever thought possible. We cannot WAIT for you to dive into these pages and find an even greater love for griddle cooking!

We love the outdoor griddle and find that it has become the perfect canvas on which to create some of the most amazing dishes there are. Its no wonder street cooks have been using the flat iron grill to serve millions daily across the globe. With outdoor griddles now found nearly everywhere, anyone can become a world-class chef (even if just self-proclaimed) right in the comfort of their own backyard.

Family is important to us, and many of the dishes here may be considered secret family recipes. But, as we always say, When youre with the WALTWINS, youre family! So now, were passing on those recipes to you! ENJOY FAM!

If you dont own a burger smasher, we recommend a dual spatula method that results in a satisfying smash. Use the backside of the lower spatula to flatten your prepared meatball. Use the top spatula to apply pressure to the bottom spatula. You can choose to hold your top spatula parallel or perpendicular to the bottom one, but either way be assertive and controlled with your pressure and keep it evenly distributed across whatever tool youre using.

It is crucial that you hold it down the whole time. The pressure you apply is key to getting a good Maillard reaction, which is the chemical connection between the acids in the meat and the heat that results in browning. Thats the crust you want!

We recommend holding the smash down for 1015 seconds (but be aware it could be as short as 8 seconds). Once the burger is smashed and you see the juices begin to rise to the surface (almost immediately), use one of the spatulas to quickly flip it.

If you have a heavy weighted or cast-iron press, you almost never need to apply much pressureneither for smash burgers nor pressed sandwiches.

If you have a thinner, lighter press, some pressure helps in creating a crust as well as getting a good toast on sandwiches.

Practice makes you better each time! It may not always be perfect, but remember, it doesn't have to look perfect to still be delicious!

Pantry Staples: Spices

Everyone has their favorite spices for their burgers! Whether it earned favorite status back in the day because it was a family staple or you just discovered an amazing combination last week, these burgers and sandwiches are the perfect vehicles.

That said, we have found that salt and pepper always give us the best results! This is always what we have stocked in our pantry:

• salt
• pepper
• garlic powder
• onion powder
• adobo seasoning
• paprika
• chipotle powder
• hot sauce

Pantry Staples: Oils

Any cooking oil works well, again dont hesitate to use your favorite! We've used vegetable, canola, avocado oil, and even ghee and beef tallow. For smash burgers, however, it is best to steer clear of olive oil as it has a lower smoke point and can burn at a higher temperature.

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