Sizzle Reel: Shake Shack's Lockhart Link Burger Recipe
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We're crazy-excited about Shake Shack's juicy new cookbook, out just in time for National Burger Day and Food Republic's own Burger Week. We've waited in the lines, tried everything on the menu and dutifully (and proudly) touted the perfection of Shake Shack's simple fare to out-of-state family and friends. And now, we can all recreate these magnificent patties at home, like the Lockhart Link Burger.
This burger was created for the opening of our first Austin Shack to celebrate everything that's great about Texas barbecue, especially the smoked jalapeño cheese sausage made by Kreuz Market in Lockhart, Texas, an hour south. You can order the very same sausage at kreuzmarket.com or use your favorite smoked sausage links.
- 4 hamburger potato buns
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 tablespoons ShackSauce
- 8 slices round kosher dill pickle
- 2 3-ounce smoked jalapeño cheese sausage links
- 1 pound very cold ground beef
- 4 slices American cheese
- 1/2 cup Hellman's mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 3/4 teaspoon Heinz ketchup
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher dill pickling brine
- Pinch cayenne pepper
- 1/2 cup kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- :::salt and pepper mix:::
- Mix salt and pepper and store.
- :::ShackSauce:::
- Mix all ingredients together and store.
- :::sandwich:::
- Heat the griddle over medium heat until hot, 2 to 3 minutes. Put the sausages on the griddle cut side down and cook until golden brown and crisp, about 2 minutes. Flip the sausages and cook about 2 minutes more. We like to cook the sausages ahead and keep them warm in the oven while we make the burgers.
- Heat a cast-iron griddle over medium-low heat until warm. Meanwhile, open the hamburger buns and brush the insides with the melted butter. A soft brush is helpful here. Place the buns buttered side down on the griddle and toast until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer buns to a plate. Spoon the sauce onto the top bun.
- Increase the heat to medium and heat the griddle until hot, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Evenly sprinkle a pinch of Our Salt & Pepper mix on top of each puck of meat.
- Place the pucks on the griddle, seasoned side down. Using a large, sturdy metal spatula, firmly smash each puck into a 1/3-inch-thick round patty. Pressing down on the spatula with another stiff spatula helps flatten the burger quickly. Evenly sprinkle another big pinch of Our Salt & Pepper Mix.
- Cook the burgers, resisting the urge to move them, until the edges beneath are brown and crisp, and juices on the surface are bubbling hot, about 2 1/2 minutes. Slide one of the spatulas beneath the burger to release it from the griddle and scrape up the caramelized browned crust. Use the other spatula to steady the burger and keep it from sliding. Flip the burgers. Put the cheese on top and cook the burgers 1 minute longer for medium. Cook more or less depending on your preference.
- Transfer the cheeseburgers to the prepared buns, top with pickles and a griddled sausage and enjoy.