Elevate your burger experience as we dive into the world of Wagyu Smash Burgers Cooked in Beef Tallow. This Wagyu burger recipe is all about burger indulgence, where the rich marbling of Wagyu beef meets the classic technique of the smash burger, all seared to perfection in flavorful beef tallow. This redefines art of burger-making.
Wagyu beef, known for its high marbling and tenderness, takes center stage in this recipe. By incorporating the smash burger technique, we not only create a deliciously crispy exterior but also allow the intense flavors of Wagyu to shine through. Cooking these delectable patties in beef tallow enhances the richness, ensuring every bite is a full of rich, beefy goodness.
Join us on a journey, that promises a melt-in-your-mouth experience, as we take the iconic smash burger to a new level with premium ingredients and classic techniques and craft the ultimate Wagyu Smash Burger. This is the world of gourmet burgers where quality is everything.
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The Quest for the Perfect Burger
I have been on a quest to make the perfect burger at home for many years and it has taken a long time to finally make the ultimate Wagyu smash burger. To be fair, I am a bit of a purist. That means I like a good, old fashioned, basic burger. Add some sautéed onions, real American cheese, lettuce, tomato and some dressing and I'm good. Oh, and I like a medium-rare burger, not medium, not well done.
I have tried many different cooking methods including grills (both gas and charcoal), a flat top, and even deep frying. In addition, I have also made burgers from just about every type of beef available. I have tried all kinds of ground meat from no-name regular ground beef to ground Wagyu beef, from brisket to buffalo, I have tried them all. The honest truth is that I was always disappointed, with both the taste and the texture.
Then I saw an episode of Good Eats with Alton Brown where he talked about the virtues of grinding your own meat. I was hooked! I invested in a small commercial grinder and I was on my way to burger heaven. Now my families enjoys the ultimate homemade wagyu burgers cooked medium-rare.
In Austin, Texas, American American wagyu beef is readily available and reasonably priced. Kobe beef. Japanese Wagyu and Australian Wagyu are sometimes available but come with a much higher price tag. For my family, American Wagyu beef makes the juiciest burgers at the best price.
Don't wait for a special occasion to make these Wagyu burgers. Read on for a few tips on making that ultimate burger in your own backyard. Also, see my post on 10 Common Mistakes to Avoid When Cooking Hamburgers.
Ingredients
- Wagyu chuck roast
- Prime top sirloin
- Wagyu beef tallow
See the wagyu beef burger recipe card for quantities.
Grind Your Own Meat for the Best Wagyu Smash Burger
The simple step of grinding your own meat will elevate your burger making skills exponentially. There are a few important reasons why.
Food Safety
We have all heard the recommendation that ground meat must be cooked to an internal temperature of 160˚F. That's because commercial ground meat can have impurities like organs and intestines that can add a whole bunch of nasty bacteria. Food poisoning is no fun. You can avoid that nastiness by grinding specific cuts of meat from a trusted butcher.
No More Well Done
Most cuts of beef can be prepared medium rare with absolutely no health risk. So why not grab one of those, grind it up, and enjoy juicy burgers cooked medium or medium-rare? By controlling what goes into your ground meat you can also control the temperature that it is cooked to.
Mix Different Cuts of Meat
There is no rule that says you have to stick to one cut of meat for your burgers. Mix it up! I like to use chuck or brisket mixed with a bit of top sirloin. The chuck and brisket bring fat to the party and the top sirloin adds texture and beefy flavor. Also try different grades of meat. The recipe below uses prime top sirloin and Wagyu chuck roast. Yes, it made a difference and it is better than store-bought Wagyu ground beef.
Instructions
Cool the Meat Down and Grind it Twice
Meat that is nearly frozen is a lot easier to grind than meat just out of the refrigerator or meat that is room temperature. After cutting the meat into cubes, put it in the freezer for about 25 minutes. Also put the business end of the grinder (not the motor) into the freezer. The meat will be much easier to grind and will be less likely to clog the grinder.
Have at least two grinding plates for your grinder. Grind the meat once with a course grinding plate and then grind it again with a medium plate. All butchers do this for the meat they grind in house because it improves the texture and consistency of the ground meat.
A Wagyu chuck roast and prime sirloin were used in this recipe.
Cut the meat into 1 - 1.5" pieces.
Leave the extra fat inside the chuck roast.
Grind the meat using a course grinding plate.
Remove the course grinding plate and replace it with the medium grinding plate.
Grind the meat again using the medium grinding plate.
Cook Wagyu Smash Burger on a Griddle
I have always been a big fan of burgers grilled over charcoal. I like the flavor that charcoal provides. However, different cuts and grades of meat deserve a different approach.
Wagyu beef has a high fat content and it would be a huge waste to throw it on a charcoal grill. All that extra fat is going to end up causing a flare up and will leave a dried out burger. Wagyu makes the best burgers when cooked on a flat top or griddle. All that extra fat helps sear the meat and create wonderfully juicy burgers. Add a few tablespoons of Wagyu beef tallow to the cooktop to take it up another notch.
Form balls of meat that will be made into smash burgers.
Place a tablespoon of beef tallow on a hot griddle over medium-high heat and let it melt.
Place a ball of the ground meat on the hot griddle and smash it down with a burger press or big spatula to form the wagyu burger patties.
Add the rest of the wagyu burger patties.
Serve wagyu smash burger on fresh brioche buns with classic burger toppings. Try making the ultimate burger buns with my recipe for Sourdough Brioche Burger Buns with Wagyu Beef Tallow.
If you are going to add American cheese, by all means buy REAL American cheese, not cheese food. There is a big difference in how it melts and how it tastes. Read the label carefully because most American cheese on the market is cheese food.
Substitutions
This recipe was made from a Wagyu chuck roast and a prime top sirloin. I have also made smash burgers from prime and choice chuck roasts. The higher the fat content the better so always look for a chuck roast with a little more marbling.
Equipment
There were two pieces of special equipment used in this recipe. One was a small commercial grade grinder with multiple grind plates that I found online at a major restaurant supply store. See Top Tips below for more information on why owning one of these is important.
Be sure to take the grinder apart and clean it well with hot soapy water. A large bottle brush is particularly helpful for cleaning the inside of the grinder attachment. Be careful, many grinder attachments are made of aluminum and cannot go in the dishwasher, unless you want to ruin them.
The other piece of special equipment was a cast iron griddle plate that I used inside my Kamado Joe. This allowed me to cook the burger on a griddle without firing up my Blackstone griddle. These cast iron griddle plates can be found in may sizes and shapes. Buy one that works for your grill. There are even half-moon versions that are designed to go into round ceramic cookers like the Kamado Joe and the Big Green Egg.
If you don't own a griddle, make your ultimate burger in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.
Storage
Store leftover cooked smash burgers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Top Tip
Here is the most important tip, invest in a decent grinder. I have owned several that attached to another appliance, like a mixer, and have been disappointed. They were under powered and poorly designed. The biggest problem with many of these low end attachments is the area where the shaft goes through the grinding plate. I once used my grinding attachment to grind cheese for a salad and noticed gray crud all around the shaft as it exited the grinding plated. After doing some research, I discovered that the gray crud was actually little bits of metal mixed in with the cheese. Yuck! I never noticed it when grinding meat because the meat was red and the gray was hidden. But it was there!
So, I bought the smallest commercial grade grinder that I could find at on online restaurant supply company for a few hundred bucks. It's does a great job, is easy to clean, and there is no gray crud. Problem solved!
Conclusion
The combination of Wagyu beef and beef tallow creates a burger experience that transcends the ordinary burger. The beautiful marbling of Wagyu beef and the rich, beefy flavor of beef tallow combine to create a burger that is extraordinary.
So, fire up the grill and show off your burger game prowess to your friends and family. Wagyu beef burgers cooked in beef tallow are sure to be a big hit. You will never make a regular burger again.
Related
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Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with this recipe.
📖 Recipe
Wagyu Smash Burger Cooked in Beef Tallow Recipe
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Cut the chuck roast and top sirloin into 2" pieces. Place the meat in a freezer bag (single layer) and freeze for 30 minutes.
- Mix up the meat and grind in a meat ground using a ⅜" plate. Change to a ¼' plate and regrind the meat.
- Form 5 oz balls of meat and press with a burger press on parchment paper.
- Place on a hot griddle coated with a tablespoon or two of Wagyu beef tallow. Sear on both sides and serve.
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