Pressed once. Hard.

One ball of beef, one hot steel plate and one press with the cook's weight behind it. Scroll down and cook one, from the ball to the cheese.

Smash burgers off one steel griddle, Mare Street, London E8

Scroll to cook

The sear

Set down on dry steel at 180°C.

110 g of chuck and brisket, rolled loose an hour before and kept cold. No oil on the plate: the fat in the beef is the oil.

The smash

Once, flat, with the cook's weight on it.

The spatula stays down for 10 seconds while the edges go to lace. A second press squeezes the juice out onto the steel, so nobody here does it.

Hold the button down, or hold Space on it. Let go early and the spatula lifts.

The cheese

One slice, laid on the crust.

American cheese goes on the moment the lace edges lift off the steel. The heat in the patty melts it before the bun goes on.

Open until the beef runs out.

240 balls are rolled at 15:00 every day we open. When they're gone the hatch shuts, which on most Fridays is a little after 21:00. The board by the hatch says how many are left.

Arch 14, Mare Street, London E8. The hatch faces the bus stop. No delivery apps: a smash burger is at its best in the first 3 minutes.

Wed and Thu
17:00 to 21:30
Fri and Sat
17:00 to 22:30
Sun
13:00 to 18:00
Mon and Tue
Griddle off
nightmarqueeMake it yours