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Before we made our extra-large No.16 Field Skillet, cooking up a big batch of burgers in the backyard always left us in a conundrum: either cook the patties directly on the grill and deal with the consequences (stuck meat, flare-ups, and unevenly cooked burgers) or make the burgers in batches using a smaller Field Skillet, and face the ire of impatient, hungry guests.

We designed the No.16 to solve this problem, sizing the pan so it could turn any standard-size grill into a burger-making machine and vessel for other big-batch cooking. The recipe below combines our favorite cast iron burger recipe with the skillet-seasoning benefits of caramelized onions, and only leaves you one pan to clean up. Our recipe also makes four burgers but can easily be doubled to cook eight or more patties in your No.16 at the same time.

Photo: Benjamin Muller

Recipe: Skillet Smash Burgers with Caramelized Onions

Yield: 4 servings
Print Recipe

Ingredients

¼ cup vegetable or other neutral oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 large sweet onions, halved and cut into ½-inch slices
Kosher salt
1 pound ground beef (ideally 70% lean)
4 slices American (or other preferred) cheese
Burger garnishes: Lettuce, sliced tomatoes, pickles

Tools

No.16 Double-Handled Skillet

Resources

The Field Method for Cast Iron Care

Instructions

1.

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil and the butter in a No.8 (or larger) Field Skillet over medium heat until the butter has melted. Add the onions and 1½ teaspoons salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions begin to brown around the edges, about 20 minutes. Add a splash of water and continue cooking, stirring occasionally and adding small amounts of water whenever the onions begin to dry out, until the onions are deeply browned and very soft, about 20 to 25 minutes longer. Transfer to a bowl and reserve.

2.

Prepare a hot grill and place a No.16 Double-Handled Field Skillet on top to preheat for a few minutes. Meanwhile, divide the beef into four equal portions and loosely form each into a ball.

3.

Add the oil to the No.16 skillet and, when it shimmers, add the balls of beef. Using a sturdy metal spatula (or the bottom of another well-seasoned Field Skillet), smash each of the beef balls as thin as they will go. Cook for 2 minutes, then season the tops of the burgers generously with salt. Flip the burgers over, season the tops again and cook for 1 minute, then top with the cheese and cook for 1 minute longer.

4.

As the burgers cook, toast the buns on the other side of the skillet, then transfer to a platter. If necessary, you can also rewarm the caramelized onions in the skillet. When the burgers have finished cooking, transfer them to the buns, top with caramelized onions and your favorite garnishes, and serve.

Seasoning Rating: Best

Both the caramelized onions and fatty burger patties will help your No.16 Field Skillet build layers of durable seasoning.

Seasoning Ratings:

Best—These dishes are the best options for building resilient seasoning, and surefire choices for getting tricky pans back on track.

Better—The best way to keep your skillet in great shape is to cook frequently, and cast iron-friendly dishes like these are your bread and butter.

Safe—These recipes won't strip seasoning away from your pan, but won't really add any, either.

OK—Be sure to clean up promptly. Recipes with this rating might feature acidic ingredients which can affect seasoning if not washed soon after cooking.

 

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