Smash Burgers with Special Sauce

• Special sauce

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp ketchup
• 1 tbsp yellow mustard
• 2 tbsp finely chopped dill pickles, plus 1 tbsp pickle brine
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika

• Burgers

• 1 1/2 lb 80/20 ground beef, divided into 8 loose balls
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 8 slices American cheese
• 4 potato buns, split
• 2 tbsp butter, softened
• 1/2 white onion, paper-thin sliced
• Dill pickle chips and shredded iceberg lettuce

1. 1Stir the sauce ingredients together and chill.
2. 2Butter the cut sides of the buns and toast them in a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat until golden. Set aside.
3. 3Heat the skillet over high heat until it's smoking slightly, about 3 minutes. Working 2 at a time, set a ball of beef in the pan, top with a square of parchment and smash it flat with a sturdy spatula, pressing hard for 10 seconds. Peel off the parchment and season with salt and pepper.
4. 4Cook without moving until the edges are deeply browned and crisp, about 2 minutes. Scrape under the patty with the spatula, flip, top with cheese and cook 30 seconds more.
5. 5Stack two patties per bun with sauce, onion, pickles and lettuce. Serve right away.

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