Double – Double Recipe

Form and season patties

Divide the 1 lb ground beef into four equal portions (~4 oz each). Lightly form each portion into a loose ball without overworking. Preheat a heavy skillet or griddle over medium-high heat and brush with the vegetable oil. Season the top of each ball with a light sprinkle of kosher salt and black pepper.

Smash and sear

Place two beef balls on the hot griddle (do not overcrowd). Using a large spatula or a burger press, firmly smash each ball into a thin patty (about 1/4" thick). Let cook undisturbed for 2–3 minutes until browned and edges are crisp. Season the exposed top with a little more salt and pepper. Flip the patties and immediately place an American cheese slice on each patty. Cook 30–45 seconds more until cheese is melted and patties are cooked through. Repeat with remaining two patties and cheese.

Assemble double patties

On the bottom half of each toasted bun, place one cheese-topped patty, then stack the second cheese-topped patty on top to create the double-smash structure. Add two strips of cooked bacon across the patties.

Make chipotle aioli

In a small bowl combine 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1 tsp minced chipotle in adobo, and 1 tsp lime juice. Stir until smooth. Taste and adjust heat by adding more chipotle if desired. This yields the chipotle aioli.

Prepare condiment mix

In a second small bowl stir together 2 tbsp ketchup, 1 tsp yellow mustard, and 2 tbsp special sauce (store-bought or use 1 tbsp extra mayo + 1 tsp ketchup + 1/2 tsp pickle relish if making at home). This becomes the ketchup-mustard-special sauce blend to use on the bun tops or as a drizzle.

Prepare fresh toppings

Lightly season tomato slices with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Slice onion thinly and separate into rings. If using whole pickles, slice into 6 rounds per burger. Warm the guacamole and pico de gallo to room temperature for easier spreading.

Layer toppings on burger

On top of the stacked patties and bacon, spread about 2 tbsp of guacamole across each burger. Spoon 2 tbsp pico de gallo over the guacamole. Add lettuce leaves, two tomato slices, a few red onion rings, and 3 pickle slices per sandwich. Sprinkle 1/4 cup crumbled Fritos over the pico for crunch.

Crispy onions and pepper jack

Top the finished stack with 1/4–1/2 cup American crispy onion strings. If you want an extra melty pepper jack layer, briefly return the assembled patties to the griddle (very low heat) and drape one pepper jack slice over before adding guacamole so it softens slightly.

Spread 1–2 tbsp chipotle aioli on the bottom bun under the patties (if desired) and brush the top bun with the ketchup-mustard-special sauce blend. Place the top bun over the burger. Press gently to compact and serve immediately with extra crispy onion strings, a side of fries, or chips.

Estimated yield: makes 2 double-smash burgers (servings = 2).