World Food Championships Jalapeño Onion Smashburger with Cheese Spread

Ingredients

• 12 oz whipped cream cheese (for the cheese spread)
• 1 tsp garlic powder (for the cheese spread)
• 1 tsp onion powder (for the cheese spread)
• 1 tsp smoked paprika (for the cheese spread)
• 0.5 tsp black pepper (for the cheese spread)
• 1 cup New School American cheese shreds, or any finely shredded American or mild cheddar (for the cheese spread)
• 1 cup mayo (for the alf's burger sauce)
• 1 tbsp tomato paste (1 to 1 1/2 tbsp) (for the alf's burger sauce)
• 1 tbsp yellow mustard (1 to 1 1/2 tbsp) (for the alf's burger sauce)
• 1 tsp chili powder (for the alf's burger sauce)
• 0.5 tsp each smoked chipotle powder, smoked paprika, onion powder and roasted garlic powder (for the alf's burger sauce)
• 0.5 tsp salt (for the alf's burger sauce)
• 1 tsp sugar or sugar substitute (for the alf's burger sauce)
• A splash of white vinegar (for the alf's burger sauce), to taste
• 2 lb 80/20 ground beef, rolled into 8 loose balls of 3 to 4 oz each (for the burgers)
• Lawry's seasoned salt (for the burgers), to taste
• 1 each onion, sliced as thin as possible, ideally on a mandoline (for the burgers)
• 2 each jalapeños, thinly sliced (for the burgers)
• 8 slice New School American cheese, 1 per patty (for the burgers)
• 4 each Martin's potato rolls (for the burgers)

Instructions

1. 1

   Cheese spread: Mix everything together and refrigerate for 30 minutes or more until ready to serve.

   30 min
2. 2

   Burger sauce: Stir all the sauce ingredients together, adjust the spices to taste and refrigerate so the flavors meld.

3. 3

   Heat the griddle to 400 to 450°F.

4. 4

   Set the beef balls on the griddle, cover each with a parchment square and smash them flat and thin with a burger press.

5. 5

   Peel off the parchment and season the raw top side with Lawry's. Lay a small handful of onion and jalapeño slices right on top.

6. 6

   Let the patties cook undisturbed for about 2 minutes, until the edges are deeply browned and you see juices rising through the meat.

   2 min
7. 7

   Scrape firmly under each patty to keep the crust and flip, so the onions and jalapeños are now underneath, searing against the griddle. Alf says getting a perfect sear on the jalapeño onion side is one of the most important parts.

8. 8

   Lay 1 slice of American cheese on each patty and cook another 1 to 2 minutes until melted and the onions are charred and soft.

   1 min
9. 9

   Meanwhile, steam the buns: set the bun halves on the griddle next to the burgers and cover them with a dome or lid for about 30 to 60 seconds, or set them on top of the cheesy patties the Oklahoma way.

10. 10

    Stack one cheesy patty on top of another to make doubles.

11. 11

    Assemble: Smear cheese spread on the bottom bun, add the double stack, squeeze a spiral of burger sauce on the inside of the top bun and close it up.