Made a comment earlier on another post. @business_route requested I make a post about smash burgers. Here's the comment: >Like to make smash burgers. Pan fried in lard if it's too lean, of let it sweat it's own fat out, like 80/20 does. Piece of wax paper in between the spatula is a game changer. Burger stays down easier. Cooks all the way thru, tho. Prefer to use ground chuck and sirloin if I can. Dress it up however you want. Nice small burgers. Small cube and fry a tater on the side (with or without onions, up to you) and I'm fed. Hope you try it sometime. From post https://poal.co/s/Rant/635089/048b847a-156a-4951-be23-6f4519f2973a#cmnts If your interested - read on and try it: By too lean I mean things like straight deer meat. Almost no fat there. You'll want some kind of fat or oil to help release the meat to flip it in that case. Recommend directions for the inexperienced follow. Please read everything before your first attempt: Use just straight meat. I prefer 80/20, plenty of fat there, no need for any to be added to the pan. Try ground chuck and sirloin for yourself (best grilled on open flame, inho) or ask your local butcher what they recommend for a smash burger. No need to add any bread crumbs or a binder (egg.) No need to add seasonings yet, that's after the flip (seasonings at this point will burn.) Form a ball. (Less than a baseball for me, maybe a little bigger for you, it's your burger.) Pan, hot, not smoking hot. Mid/high heat tops or just less than should be about right. Ball goes in, leave it for 30-60 seconds, don't move it. DO NOT WALK AWAY, THIS IS THE CRUCIAL PART. Flat metal spatula (preferably sharp) and a piece of wax paper in between the spac and the meat (this helps the meat stay down in the pan.) SMASH IT FLAT!!! Now be gentle, pull the wax paper away and as you do, place the spatula down over the exposed meat. Pull the rest of the wax paper off. Wait. Just let it cook, this won't take long, few minutes tops. When it starts to brown about half way up the side, scrape it off the pan and flip it right back in the spot it was originally in. SMASH IT AGAIN! Hold it down for a few seconds, put some muscle into it! Season the cooked side with salt and anything else you want. Garlic powder, pepper, ground hot pepper, etc. If it cups up, smoosh it and hold it down. Done correctly, it should have a bit of a crust and this way your seasoning choices won't burn. (Burnt garlic powder, yuck.) Two should fit comfortably in a 12 pan. "But I want a cheese burger!" At the very end, TURN THE HEAT DOWN TO LOW. (The pan is hot, cheese burns really fast.) Be ready with a splash of water (approximately half a tablespoon.) and the lid for the pan. (Or the best lid to cover.) Add cheese and splash of water into the pan, not on the burger, cover, 60 seconds or so, the cheese will be melted. In a separate pan, I like to fry up small cubed potatoes add diced onions when the potatoes first turn brown (sometimes peppers, too.) Two burgers , two large baking potatoes (recommended) should feed two. Put absolutely whatever you want on it. It's your burger. Enjoy!