Who Really Invented The Smash Burger?

Smash may have become the super-swank way to eat a burger over the past decade, but it's been around for longer than you might realize. Sometime during the 1960s, decades before the fast food chain Smashburger launched in Denver, a fry cook at a Dairy Cheer in Ashland, Kentucky figured out how to maximize flavor by smashing ground beef with a 10 ounce can of beans.

One might postulate that smash burgers are as old as the American diners that bloomed in the early 1900s. Burgers have long been thin-patty affairs layered with griddled onions and served up in greasy kitchens by loud, angry guys with names like Mel. But Bill Culvertson, owner of an Appalachian diner called Dairy Cheer, made history when he realized the value in his cook's burger-griddling method, which created ultra-thin patties and flavorful, crispy-edged hamburgers.

Although Bill Culvertson's cook may have not known the science behind his discovery, he definitely was privy to the flavor bomb that comes with proper browning. From baking salted caramel-stuffed white chocolate chip cookies to roasting coffee beans, the Maillard reaction is when reducing sugars interact with amino acids to create something called melanoids — a compound that gives browned foods that unique, toasty flavor. By flattening out the raw beef patties, the cook at Dairy Cheer increased the surface area for more uniform browning and crisp, lacy edges.

Though smash burgers seem to be readily available at fast food chains and restaurants across the U.S., it's not too difficult to recreate diner burger magic in your own home. Cooking tips abound for top-notch smash burgers, but the most important factors include a high fat ground beef blend (i.e. 75/25), a flat cooking surface — either stainless steel or cast iron — and a stiff, large metal spatula for flipping. Most of all, keep it simple! A little salt, American cheese, and a toasted bun is all you need for the perfect smash burger.