I love peppers. Especially peppers from the local farmers markets around New Jersey. I’m not really a "grill guy" and prefer to make burgers in a hot cast-iron skillet on the stove top. Smash burgers top my list in the summer.

  • 1/4-1/3 pound burgers seasoned with salt, pepper and a couple dashes of Worcestershire sauce and your favorite hot sauce.
  • Roll the ground beef (at least 80/20 you need some fat!!) in a ball.
  • Get the pan supper hot, maybe a little bit of vegetable oil or almond oil to start if your pan is not seasoned enough from regular use.
  • Meat to the surface and then take a spatula and smash it into a patty while it cooks.
  • I add a little Montreal Steak seasoning to the top, flip and then season the other side.

As far as the pepper topping…

You’ll notice from the pic that there’s a delicious green sauce on the top of the melted cheese. That’s a simple creamy cilantro jalapeño sauce that I made form a recipe on epicurious.com.

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The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Bill Spadea. Any opinions expressed are Bill's own. Bill Spadea is on the air weekdays from 6 to 10 a.m., talkin’ Jersey, taking your calls at 1-800-283-1015.

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