How to make a mouthwatering smashburger like 'The Burger Show' host Alvin Cailan
To celebrate one of America's most iconic foods, chef Alvin Cailan, host of First We Feast's hit series "The Burger Show," shared his perfect smashburger recipe with "Good Morning America."
Cailan, who is also the head chef and owner of famed burger destination Amboy, recently developed an exclusive burger menu inspired by the new season of the show that draws on all the nostalgia of a classic two-patty cheeseburger, with special sauce and iceberg lettuce sandwiched between a sesame seed bun.
His Oklahoma Double Double is a quintessential smashburger with gooey, melted American cheese and is the perfect balance of savory, salty, sweet and tangy.
Check out the full recipe below.
Oklahoma Double Double
Ingredients
2 pounds ground beef 75/25
4 teaspoons kosher salt
1 large yellow onion
8 slices American cheese
1 cup or 16 slices dill pickles
1/2 cup Thousand Island dressing
1 head iceberg lettuce
4 teaspoons butter (room temperature)
4 brioche sesame buns
Directions
Peel onion by slicing off the top and bottom. Notch the first layer of onion skin and peel first layer. It's vital to keep the onion whole.
Using a sharp knife or a good slicer, slice onions along the equator, creating thin translucent onion rings.
Half, then quarter your iceberg lettuce. If you like big crunch, peel the iceberg leaves apart and fold them the size of the bun, if you like a less messy burger, thinly slice the iceberg lettuce to 1/8-1/4 of an inch thick. Set aside until burgers are ready to be assembled.
Take your 2 pounds of ground beef and portion it to 8 even portions. Take the beef portions and roll them in to meat balls with your hands. Place on a plate until ready for cooking.
Split and butter a brioche bun and griddle until golden brown.
Press 2 beef patties into thin disks. Add salt and generous amount of shaved onions atop the seasoned burger patty and press onions into the patty once more.
Allow burgers to cook, do not move until well browned and at least halfway cooked, then burgers can be scraped from the grill and flipped to place the onion side down.
As soon as burgers are flipped add 1 slice of cheese per patty and continue to cook.
Dress the bottom and top toasted bun with thousand island dressing. On the bottom bun, layer (not overlapping) the pickle slices, then iceberg lettuce.
Once the cheese has fully melted, and the burger is cooked, stack and place on top of the lettuce on the bottom bun build.
Top with the dressed top toasted bun, then wrap/package to finish the item.
For burger lovers living in New York City, Cailan's Oklahoma Double Double will be available to order, in addition to three other variations of his specialty smashburgers, from Hungry House now through mid-August.
His menu also includes a Hickory Burger, a Gruyere and Crispy Onion Burger, and a SPAM Melt with Spicy Mayo and Spicy Cucumbers.
