If you ever meet Mitch, you should ask him about Meat Mitch. Former Chiefs offensive lineman Mitchell Schwartz is a fan of the Leawood barbecue spot of the same name, as he let me know at the recent Monsters of Barbecue dinner hosted by Ted Liberda of Buck Tui Barbecue. Schwartz’s go-to order at Meat Mitch, and the one that prompted me to revisit, is the smashburger.
Created by Mitch Benjamin, the owner of Meat Mitch, pitmaster behind Char Bar and cookbook author of BBQ Revolution: Innovative Barbecue Recipes from an All-Star Pitmaster, the smashburger is an extension of a recipe for a smoked brisket burger Benjamin developed at Char Bar. The original recipe was created as a way to use leftover brisket, but the Meat Mitch version takes it to a new level by turning that brisket, plus some fresh ground beef, into a two-patty smashburger as opposed to the traditional thick burger you’ll find at Char Bar.
The Meat Mitch smashburger is indeed one of the best uses of leftover smoked brisket I have yet encountered, pairing phenomenal char with American cheese and grilled onions on a steamed-then-griddled bun. My favorite smashburger in town is still Cosmo Burger, but this isn’t far behind. And on Monday nights, you can get it with a handful of honey-kissed curly fries and a cheap marg.
“I’m a smashburger guy,” Benjamin says. “I like them both, but I’m usually going smashburger. The richness in the brisket and the char you get from the griddle gives a unique, unbelievable flavor, and the cheeses and sauces really make it great. It really has turned out to be a hero on the menu.”
The trick to the smashburger is the blend of fresh and smoked meat. At Meat Mitch, they use sixty percent fresh ground beef and forty percent smoked brisket. “The reason we really have to err on the side of too much hamburger is just to keep it together,” Benjamin says.
You can find the recipe in Benjamin’s book, BBQ Revolution, along with the sauces. “We do our own blend of a smash sauce, which is just a mixture of barbecue sauce, ketchup and things like that.” Plus charred mayo—that is barbecue sauce and mayo that’s actually charred on the grill.
This is an overbuilt burger that has a lot going on, which is a great thing. Add it to your list of must-try dishes from KC ’cue spots.
