Smash Burgers brats and hotdogs

*BLACKSTONE SMASH BURGERS + BRATS & DOGS - The Full How-To* If you've got a Blackstone and you're not making smash burgers on it, you're missing out. Today I'm doing the whole cook - perfect thin & crispy smash burgers, plus brats and hot dogs for the crowd. This is everything I wish someone told me when I started. *WHAT YOU NEED:* *For Smash Burgers (makes 8 burgers / 4 doubles):* 2 lbs 80/20 ground chuck - don't go leaner, the fat is flavor 1 large yellow onion, super thin sliced American cheese - the good melty stuff Burger buns - brioche or potato buns hold up best Salt, pepper, garlic powder - that's it Yellow mustard + mayo for the sauce Butter for toasting buns *For Brats & Dogs:* Brats - I like beer brats, but any work All-beef hot dogs Buns Onions & peppers if you want to go loaded *Equipment:* Blackstone (or any flat top), 2 big metal spatulas, parchment paper squares, burger press or heavy spatula, squeeze bottles for oil/water, infrared thermometer if you have it. *THE COOK - Step by Step:* *1. Prep is everything:* Roll your ground beef into loose 3-3.5oz balls. Don't pack them tight. Keep them cold in the fridge until right before you cook. Slice onions paper thin. Mix 2 parts mayo to 1 part yellow mustard + a dash of pickle juice for a quick burger sauce. *2. Get that griddle HOT:* Crank the Blackstone to high. You want 450-500 degrees. Hit it with a thin layer of avocado oil or canola oil. This isn't low and slow. *3. Brats and dogs go first:* They take longer and they're forgiving. Put brats down first with a little oil. Let them get a good brown on all sides - about 8-10 minutes. I hit them with a squirt of water and cover with a dome to steam them through. Hot dogs just need 3-4 minutes to get charred. Push them to the cool side to hold. *4. The Smash - The Most Important Part:* Place a beef ball on the hot griddle. Top with a parchment square, then SMASH it straight down and hold for 10 seconds with your press. You want it almost see-through thin, about 1/4 inch. The edges should be lacy and jagged - that's where the crust comes from. Season heavy with salt, pepper, garlic. Repeat - don't crowd, 3-4 max at a time. *5. Don't touch it:* Let it crust for 60-90 seconds. You'll see the edges browning and juices coming up through the top. That's when you scrape UNDER the crust with a sharp spatula - get every bit of that crust. Flip. Immediately add cheese. Top with thin onions if you want them steamed. *6. Double up and toast:* Stack two patties on top of each other - that's a proper smash burger. While cheese melts, throw your buns face-down in butter on the other side of the griddle. 30 seconds and they're golden. *7. Build it:* Bottom bun, sauce, double smash patties with cheese, pickles, onions, top bun. That's it. Don't overthink it and don't add a bunch of stuff that makes it soggy. *Pro Tips from messing this up a bunch:* Cold, loose beef + ripping hot griddle = best crust. Warm, tight-packed beef = hockey puck. Parchment paper is non-negotiable or the meat sticks to your press. Don't press it twice. One hard smash at the start, that's it. Second smash squeezes out juice. If your spatula isn't scraping, it's not sharp enough or your griddle isn't hot enough. Let the Blackstone recover heat between batches. 30-45 seconds. Brats, dogs, and smash burgers on one cook - you can feed everybody and nobody's complaining. I show the full smash technique close-up in the video, plus how I manage the heat zones so nothing burns. Give it a try and let me know how yours turned out. What's your go-to Blackstone cook? #blackstone #blackstonegriddle #smashburger #smashburgers #griddlenation #griddlecooking #bratwurst #howto #backyardcooking #flatopgrill