3 lbs ground chuck (makes 8 to 10 burgers) No less than 20% fat, otherwise the burgers will come out dry. I actually prefer to start with prime rip or sirloin and shred it myself in the processor and cut in a little ground chuck, but this is optional.
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs
- 3 large eggs
- 1-1/2 tsp fresh cracked sea salt (table salt is fine, too)
- 1 tsp fresh ground pepper
- 1/4 cup steak sauce or Worcestershire sauce
- Juice from one lemon
- 1/4 cup of your favorite mustard
- 1 Tbsp of your favorite hot sauce (this is not going to make the burgers "hot")
- 1/4 cup fresh chopped Italian parsley
- 1/4 cup fresh thyme
- 1 large white or red onion, finally chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, finally chopped
- 16oz sliced mushrooms (medium thickness)
Now, for the fun part: the assembly. First we're going to start out by sweating the onions and garlic in a pan over low heat. We are not sautéing here. We want to sweat out most of the moisture. And use only a teaspoon of butter or margarine. Any more than that and it will be too much moisture. This will be approximately 3 and a half minutes. Then kick the heat up to medium and brown the onions and garlic. This will be only about another minute or so. This toasted flavor makes a lot of difference. Sometimes I even start the grill up and brown the onions in rings and then chop them up. Next, remove from pan and let cool.
In a large bowl, combine the ground chuck, bread crumbs, eggs, salt and pepper, steak sauce or Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, thyme, and parsley. Your hands are the best tool for this. Get in there and get messy. But don't pack and squeeze the mixture too tightly. You want to be somewhat loose. Next, combine the hot sauce and mustard separately by whisking. Then add it to the burger mixture and combine. Let this chill in the fridge for 30 to 45 minutes. It makes the next steps easier. ~ Notice we haven't gotten to the mushrooms yet...
Now separate the burger mixture into two separate portions. Lay out some foil on your cutting board or countertop and spread out one portion, laying down some non-stick spray first, of course. Spread out mixture to a nice square/rectangle about a quarter of an inch thick. A rolling pin with spacers works great here; otherwise, just do the best you can with your hands. It doesn't have to be perfect. Using a plastic bowl or large drinking glass, stamp out burgers one at a time like a cookie cutter. Set these aside. Now do the same with the second burger potion. Now take the nice medium sliced mushrooms and lay them out on half of the cut burgers. Now lay the other half of the burgers on top of the mushrooms. You’ve basically sandwiched the mushrooms between the two halves. Press them together slightly to seal them up and look like just one big burger. Transport these in zip-top bags or on a plate. Again, just make sure you separate layers with plastic wrap.
It's going to be about 4 minutes per side on the grill or over a camp fire. Sound like a lot of work? Mmm, maybe. But wait 'till you see the look on everybody’s face when you serve these up on nice large butter top or sesame buns toasted just so nicely. Throw on some sharp cheddar or bleu cheese crumbles and you'll know it was all worth it!
*I can be contacted at jason@pahaque.com for any questions or clarification. Happy trails!
