COOK IT.
To make the pickled onion, place the vinegar, beetroot juice, sugar, salt, and peppercorns into a saucepan and bring them to a boil. While that is heating, slice the red onion in half and then slice it as thinly as possible. Place the onion into a glass bowl. Once the vinegar mixture has boiled, pour the liquid over the onions and allow them to sit on the counter until room temperature. They’re ready to eat once they are cool. Be aware that the beetroot juice will stain anything it comes into contact with, such as clothing, hands, countertops, and cutting boards. Be careful.
Mix the beef with sour cream, ranch, and pepper. Shape the meat into 4 oz. (113 g) balls, and place them into the fridge to remain as cold as possible until you are ready to cook.
Set your grill up for griddling with an Enameled Cast Iron Reversible Griddle and your Stainless Steel Smoker Box. Preheat the grill to medium by lighting the grill below the griddle. Leaving the smoker box burners off for now.
Cook the bacon. Once the bacon is done, ignite the burner below the smoker box and allow the wood to begin smoking.
Place your patties, two to four at a time, onto the hot griddle. Allow the burgers to smoke for 3 to 5 minutes before using a gloved hand to place a pile of pickled onions onto each patty and then smashing until very thin. Allow the burger to form a good crust before flipping and finishing cooking.
Once all of the patties have been smoked and smashed, assemble your spookily good burgers with your favorite toppings. We suggest stacking two patties with some lettuce, creamy aioli, and topping with bacon and extra blood-red pickled onion.
Pair this with a blood-red Syrah or Grenache whose smoky flavors will complement the smokiness of the burger. If a beer is the beverage being served, a brown ale’s malty sweetness, or a crisp and bright lager can work wonders depending on your preferences.
Buns : It is ideal to use a stand mixer for this recipe to prevent any staining on your worktop and ensure the best results for the buns.
Clean, peel, and boil your potato whole until it is completely cooked through – a skewer or knife meets no resistance when the potato is prodded. Leaving it whole prevents the potato from absorbing too much water. If you have leftover cooked potatoes, you can use them instead.
Pass the potato through a potato ricer, or mash, then press that through a fine mesh strainer – the less lumpy your potato, the better.
While the potato cools, combine your 90-95°F (32-35°C) milk and water. Whisk in the yeast, sugar, and the optional black food coloring paste.
In the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment installed, add the flour, salt, and optional charcoal. Whisk together so that everything is evenly distributed. At low speed, add the water to the four mixture, followed by the oil, egg, and yolk, and finally the mashed potato. Mix for about 5 minutes, until an elastic dough takes shape, then add the softened butter, continuing to mix for another 2 to 3 minutes, until the dough is smooth and pulling away from the sides of the bowl. If the dough is not coming together, you feel it is too loose, keep working it to develop the gluten. You can use a cupped hand, scooping and slapping the dough against the side of the bowl, or you can turn it out onto a covered work surface and slap it down, lifting, tossing it back onto the counter, folding, then turn it 90° and repeat until the dough is smooth and springy. *Remember that you have added food dye and charcoal, so you will want to have your work surface covered to prevent staining.
Grease your hands and the bowl, transferring the dough back into the bowl. Cover the bowl in plastic wrap and leave the dough to rise until doubled.
Once doubled, punch down the dough and scrape it out onto a covered worksurface. Divide the dough into 100 g balls. Roll them into tight balls, patting them down a little, then place them onto a parchment-lined baking tray. You can fit about 6 per tray. Cover the buns with greased plastic wrap and allow them to rise for 30 to 60 minutes, until a little less than doubled in size and they spring back when gently poked.
Preheat your grill to 375°F (191°C) with a baking stone. While you are waiting, brush the tops with some whole milk, then bake for 15 to 17 minutes.
Remove the buns from the grill and immediately brush with a little extra melted butter (optionally, sprinkle with white sesame seeds). Cool completely before using.
Whether you’re serving them to ghouls and goblins at a Halloween bash or just craving a wickedly good burger any night of the week, these Spooky Smoky Smashburgers will cast a spell on your taste buds. With their eerie colors, smoky flavors, and hauntingly good toppings, this recipe proves that a little fright in your food can make dinner delightfully fun. What is your favorite freaky food to serve on Halloween? Tell us about your spooky celebrations by sharing your creepy grilled recipes, ideas, and photos on our social media pages like Facebook and Instagram, using the hashtags #NapoleonEats and #NapoleonGrill.
Happy Grilling!