Smash Burger Sauce
Half an hour in the fridge is what lets the garlic and onion powder soften into the mayonnaise; straight from the bowl it tastes faintly raw. A teaspoon of pickle brine keeps it sharp rather than sweet.
Chop the pickles until no piece is bigger than a grain of rice. Anything coarser rolls out of the sauce and off the bun at the first bite.
In a small bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard and pickle brine together until the colour is even and no streaks of ketchup are left.
Fold in the chopped pickles, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika and black pepper, and the cayenne if you want it — at this amount it adds warmth rather than heat.
Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. The dried spices need that time to take up moisture and lose their dusty edge; mixed and used at once the sauce still works, just flatter.
Taste before serving. If it reads flat, add a few more drops of brine; if it is too sharp, a little more ketchup. Spread it on both cut sides of a toasted bun, about 2 tbsp per burger. Sealed and refrigerated, it keeps for up to 1 week.
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