Folks who visit the Eccentric Café often come for the beer but come back again and again for our smash burgers. Our kitchen crew has perfected the dish and have experimented with a wide range of ingredients for specials each week.
We went into the kitchen and got some tips from Chef Kris about how to perfect your burger game and how you can make a smash burger at home:
- Super Smash Burgers: The key to making a great smash burger lies in the technique. As soon as the patty hits the hot flat-top grill, be ready to smash it. Each side only needs around a minute to 90 seconds to cook to perfection. Don’t worry if you don’t have a flat top; a griddle similar to what you’d use for pancakes also works.
- Quality Beef Matters: Where’s the beef isn’t the only question you should ask, but what kind. Kris recommends cooking with lean beef to avoid losing the patty’s essence to excessive fat rendering.
- Got any Cheese?: While American cheese is a classic choice, Chef Kris recommends exploring other options like cheddar and Swiss to elevate your smash burger.
- Toast the bun: A key technique to level up your burgers is to toast the bun. It adds texture and structural integrity, as well as preventing mayo from turning it soggy.
- L-T-O and P: A satisfying burger is incomplete without toppings. Chef Kris’s go-to choices include the classic lettuce, tomato, pickle, and onion.
- Get creative: Mixing condiments like thousand island and yellow mustard can elevate your burger. Get creative with the different toppings you add, some of our burgers at the Café include chipotle cherry jam, goat cheese, pickled habanero, honey butter mayor, blueberry bacon jam and Honey Szechuan cream cheese (not all on the same burger).
OK, we’re hungry now. Heading out to get some ingredients… Cheers to great grilling! 🍻🍔
Bell’s Smash Burgers at the Eccentric CafĂ©
Eccentric Bell’s Smash Burger
Pairs well with Lager of the Lakes
Smash patty, LTOP, Thousand Island, mustard, cheese, brioche bun
Cherry Bomb
Pairs well with Porter
Smash patty, chipotle cherry jam, goat cheese, pickles, mustard, pickled habanero, brioche bun
Olive Burger
Pairs well with No, Yeah
Smash patty, black pepper mayo, olives, and swiss cheese
Chickpea Parm Burger
Pairs well with Amber Ale
Chickpea mushroom patty, tomato jam, mozzarella, pickled onions, garlic herb mayo, brioche bun
