Classic Smashed Burger

Divide the ground beef into 8 equal portions (about 3 oz each). Loosely form them into balls.

Wrap the beef balls in parchment paper and refrigerate while preparing the other ingredients.

Grate half an onion using the large holes of a box grater to create a fine onion puree.

In a small bowl, combine the grated onion, mayonnaise, yellow mustard, hot sauce, and Worcestershire sauce. Mix well.

Remove any wilted outer leaves from the iceberg lettuce and finely shred the rest for crunch.

Slice the tomatoes into relatively thin rounds, avoiding thick, seedy slices.

Butter the cut sides of the burger buns. Toast them on a griddle over medium heat until golden brown.

Preheat your cast iron skillet or griddle to high heat.

Place the beef balls onto the hot griddle, leaving space between them. Place a piece of parchment paper on top of each ball and use a meat mallet or spatula to firmly smash them into thin patties. Work quickly to retain juices.

Season one side of the smashed patties with salt and pepper. Add a dollop of the special sauce to the uncooked side of each patty.

Once the patties have a good crust and are ready to flip, top each with a slice of cheddar cheese.

Flip the patties, scraping up any browned bits with your spatula. Cook for another minute or two until the cheese is melted and the burgers are cooked through.

Spread a generous amount of the special sauce on the toasted bottom half of each burger bun.

Top the sauce with shredded lettuce, followed by tomato slices.

Place a double cheeseburger patty on top of the tomato slices.

Place the top half of the bun onto the burger.

Wrap each assembled burger in parchment paper by folding it into a triangle and tucking in the sides to create a neat package.