For the Love of Mushrooms Burger

Pairs well with:

Zinfandel

Bright and full-bodied, this Zinfandel wine is a curious contradiction in tastes.

Ingredients

Mushroom Filling:
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
6 ounces cremini mushrooms, halved lengthwise, then thinly sliced 3½ teaspoons kosher salt, divided
Patties:
1 cup Sutter Home Zinfandel
1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
2 pounds ground chuck
2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
2 tablespoons bottled steak sauce
Dijon Honey Mustard:
3 tablespoons Grey Poupon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey
3 medium sized portobella mushroom caps
3 tablespoons Colavita Extra Virgin olive oil
Vegetable oil for grill rack
9 ounces cambozola cheese, sliced as thin as possible
6 onion Kaiser buns, split
3 cups baby spinach leaves

 

Instructions

Prepare a charcoal grill with a top for high heat cooking. To make the mushroom filling, over the hot grill, in a small skillet, melt the butter; add the garlic and sauté for one minute. Add the sliced cremini mushrooms and 1/2 teaspoon of the kosher salt, sauté for about 6-7 minutes stirring occasionally until the mushrooms are softened, and most of the liquid has evaporated. Remove from the grill and set aside to cool slightly. To prepare the patties, place the Sutter Home Zinfandel into a small sauce pan, bring to a simmer on the grill, remove from heat, add the porcini mushrooms, stir and submerge the mushrooms, allow to steep for 20-30 minutes. Remove the porcini mushrooms from the wine, lifting the mushrooms out of the liquid to leave any residue behind, reserve the liquid. In a small strainer, rinse the porcinis to remove any residual grit and mince the porcinis finely. In a large mixing bowl, place the minced porcini mushrooms, ½ cup of the reserved Sutter Home Zinfandel wine from soaking the porcinis (be careful to spoon the wine from the top and not to take any grit that might have settled to the bottom), the ground chuck, fresh thyme, and the steak sauce. Mix the meat and ingredients gently with your hands, and separate into 6 equal portions. Divide each of the 6 portions in half and flatten each into a flat round disk about 1/3 inches thick. On 6 of the halves, divide the sautéed mushrooms evenly, placing in the center. Top with the other half of the meat and seal the edges while shaping the burgers. Sprinkle both sides of the burgers with 2 teaspoons of the salt. In a small bowl, stir together the Grey Poupon Dijon mustard and honey, set aside. Slice the portobella mushrooms into 6 slices each, sprinkle evenly with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil, and the remaining 1 teaspoon of the kosher salt. Grease the grill rack with vegetable oil, place the portobella slices on the grill and cook for 4 minutes per side (cooking on the cut sides), until soft and slightly charred. Remove from grill, grease the grill rack again and place all six burger patties on the grill, cook for 4 minutes, and turn. Place 3 slices of the cooked portobella mushrooms on each burger, top the mushrooms with 1 ½ ounces of the cambozola cheese. Cook on the last side for a total of 4 minutes, covering the grill during the last 30 seconds to melt the cheese. Remove the burgers from the grill. Toast each side of the onion kaiser buns for about 20 seconds each side. To assemble the burgers, place the bottom buns on each serving plate, spread with half of the Dijon honey mustard, divide and place the spinach leaves equally on each bun, top with the cooked patty, spread the remainder of the Dijon honey mustard on the top buns and place on top, serve!