During my travels for the old Food Network show Food Nation, I had the opportunity to go foraging for mushrooms with an expert while in Washington State. I can’t think of mushrooms without remembering that trip. Now I do NOT recommend hunting for your own mushrooms—let’s leave that to the experts—but I do recommend using a variety of what your supermarket has to offer. They may not be technically “wild,” but a blend from your market will still be delicious and, more important, not deadly! I think that any cheddar would pair well with the mushrooms, but if you can find a sharp Tillamook cheddar from Oregon, it would be all the better.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 4
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Heat the olive oil and butter in a large sauté pan over high heat until almost smoking. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the shallot, season with salt and pepper, and cook until the mushrooms are golden brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the thyme and parsley and transfer to a bowl.
Step 2
Divide the meat into 4 equal portions (about 6 ounces each). Form each portion loosely into a 3/4-inch-thick burger and make a deep depression in the center with your thumb. Season both sides of each burger with salt and pepper.
Step 3
Cook the burgers, using the canola oil (see page 16) and topping each one with a slice of cheese and a basting cover during the last minute of cooking (see page 21).
Step 4
Place the burgers on the bun bottoms and top each burger with chipotle ketchup, if using, and a large spoonful of the mushrooms. Cover with the bun tops and serve immediately.
