Instructions
1Make the salad first so it has time to sit: toss the peppers, cucumbers, and red onion with the olive oil, vinegar, honey, salt, and pepper. Set it aside on the counter — 20 minutes at room temperature softens the onion's bite.
2Divide the beef into 8 loose balls, about 3 oz each. Handle them as little as possible — do not pack, salt, or season them yet. Loose beef is what gives you a craggy crust.
3Butter the cut sides of the buns and toast them face-down in a dry skillet until golden, 1-2 minutes. Set aside.
4Get a cast iron skillet or griddle very hot over medium-high — hotter than feels reasonable. This is the opposite of a barbecue-sauced burger, where you'd go low and slow to keep the sugar from burning; here the whole point is a hard, fast sear.
5Working two at a time, place the balls on the dry hot surface and immediately smash them flat with a stiff spatula, as thin as you can get them. Season the tops with salt and pepper. Cook undisturbed 2 minutes, until the edges are lacy and deep brown.
6Scrape under each patty with the spatula edge — get all the crust — and flip. Lay a slice of cheese on each and cook 1 minute more. Stack two patties per bun.
7Build the burgers with pickles, onion, and condiments, and put the salad on the side.