4x4 Burger

An unapologetic, towering stack of smash burgers and cheese! This is the ultimate indulgence for burger lovers everywhere. Four perfectly seared smash burgers topped with four slices of American cheese, you have to try this 4x4 Burger!

About this 4x4 burger:

As the name suggests, this towering burger consists of 4 perfectly seared smash burgers topped with 4 slices of cheese - hence the name 4x4 burger! I first came across this mighty burger when visiting a famous American burger restaurant and couldn't believe how magnificent it was! This is the ultimate indulgence and is perfect for burger lovers everywhere. Forget about doubles or triples, its all about the 4x4 burger!

Ingredients

• 280g Ground beef (split into 4 equal balls)
• Seeded burger bun
• Slices red onion
• Slice of tomato
• Butter
• Salt & pepper
• Slices jalapeno
• Yellow mustard
• Dill pickled slices
• Iceberg lettuce
• American cheese
• Hot pepper cheddar
• Burger sauce

See recipe card for quantities.

Step by step photographs:

1. Step 1: In a pan on medium heat, toast your burger buns with a tablespoon of butter along with your sliced red onion.

2. Step 2: Turn the heat up until your pan is smoking hot. Add the four ground beef balls and smash them down as flat as you can get them with a burger press or spatula. To avoid the meat sticking to your press or spatula, slide it under the patty rather than lift. Add a pinch of salt.

3. Step 3: When you see that the patties are almost cooked on one side, top with a squirt of mustard then flip over.

4. Step 4: Now add a slice of cheese to each patty.

What about the burger sauce?

You can use burger sauce that you can buy from any convenience store, however I highly recommend making my Big Mac Sauce to add an extra level of flavor to this mighty 4x4 burger!

What beef should I use for the patty?

The perfect burger patty needs to have a 70/30 meat to fat ratio. This allows the beef to remain succulent and juicy when cooked and adds a depth of flavor that low fat beef just can't match.

Which buns can I use for this recipe?

I have paired this burger with a simple burger bun, the easy recipe can be found here: Homemade Hamburger Buns.

Alternatively, you can definitely use a brioche burger bun, the recipe can be found here: Brioche Hamburger Buns recipe.

Substitutions

This 4x4 burger is already stacked with amazing toppings. However, if you want to use up other items you have in your refrigerator then here are some ideas:

• Vegetarian - the beef hamburger can be replaced with a plant-based burger to make this vegetarian
• Cheese - instead of using a slice of American cheese, an Aged cheddar will melt perfectly or a slice of Mozzarella.
• Bun - use gluten free buns instead of white bread buns to make this gluten free

Variations

• Onions- why not go all out and have your burger 'Animal style' by topping with these incredible caramelized onions.
• Spicy - add an extra burst of flavor by topping with this unbelievable chili jam!
• Bacon - missing your bacon fix with this 4x4 burger? Not to worry, try this delicious bacon jam!

Equipment

All you need to make this recipe perfect is a pan and pan lid. Instead of using a burger dome, simply use the lid for your pan to perfectly steam your buns and melt your cheese to perfection. You can easily fry your burgers in a pan, or be a star chef and grill on an iron skillet or griddle.

Storage

Store the wet ingredients from your 4x4 Burger (mustard, lettuce, pickles, tomato, cheese and onions) separately from the dry ingredients (buns) in the fridge, and recombine when ready. Good for 2-3 days.

Refrigeration: You can store your burger patties raw in the fridge for up to 2-3 days before you want to cook them. Always store in an airtight container and keep away from cooked meat products. You can store cooked patties in the refrigerator for 3-4 days in an airtight container, keep away from any raw meat in your fridge.

Frozen: You can freeze your raw or cooked patties for up to 3 months, ensure they are separated by parchment paper so they don’t stick together and store in freezer bags to prevent freezer burn.

Reheating: To reheat your raw patties, simply thaw out overnight in the refrigerator and fry as instructed above. If you’re reheating cooked patties, heat them in a pan or skillet until they are heated through. Finally, recombine with your buns, mustard, lettuce, pickles, tomato, cheese and onions as instructed above.