Cool recipe alert: Blended mushroom ménage a trois burger

This burger with the provocative name was created by Chef Jose Gomez, assistant kitchen manager at the University of Southern California’s Lab Gastropub. Part of USC’s third annual Mushroom-a-palooza event, this upscale pub burger features depth of flavor from several sources: funky blue cheese, two types of hot peppers and, of course, the earthiness of the mushrooms. The blendability component is the result of USC’s long-standing collaboration with the Mushroom Council, which touts blending meat with mushrooms as a way to enhance taste, up the veggie content, and trim calories and fat. 

Blended mushroom ménage a trois burger

YIELD: 1 burger, plus more mushroom mixture
For mushroom duxelle (makes more than needed for 1 burger):
oil, as needed, for pan
2 cups shallot, minced
2 cups garlic, minced
1 cup serrano pepper, minced
½ bottle of white wine
salt and pepper, to taste
10 lbs. button mushrooms, minced
3 bunches parsley, finely minced

For 1 burger patty:
2.5 oz. of mushroom duxelle
2.5 oz. ground beef
2.5 oz. Mexican chorizo
1.25 oz. blue cheese crumbles

For cilantro-lime cayenne aioli (makes more aioli than needed for 1 burger)
1 bunch cilantro
juice of two limes 
¼ cup cayenne
1 qt. mayonnaise
salt, to taste

For burger assembly:
½ oz. pasilla chile, roasted, peeled, deseeded and julienned
¼ oz. serrano pepper, deseeded and julienned
½ oz. red onion, sliced
½ oz. button mushroom, sliced 1 onion bun melted butter, as needed
½ Tbsp. demi glace
1 oz. cambozola cheese
2 oz. arugula
¼ oz. cilantro-lime aioli
salt, to taste

1.    For mushroom duxelle: Heat large pan on medium. Coat with oil and add shallot, garlic and serrano pepper. Sweat until shallots and peppers become tender. Season with salt and deglaze pan with wine and reduce until au sec (reduced until nearly dry). Add mushroom to pan and stir frequently until reduced again. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Take off heat and lay out on sheet pan lined with parchment paper and refrigerate until cool; toss with parsley once cooled.
2.    For 1 burger patty: Mix 2.5 oz. of the duxelle with ground beef, chorizo and blue cheese crumbles in bowl until all ingredients are well combined. Form into ball and flatten into patty. 
3.    For aioli: Mix all ingredients in mixing bowl.
4.    For burger assembly: Cook patty on flattop (not grill, patty will not hold up). While patty cooks, in pan, sauté pasilla, serrano, mushrooms and red onion. Brush bun with butter and place on flattop to toast. Season veggie mixture with salt and deglaze with demi glace. Once patty is medium, add cambozola to patty and allow cheese to melt (patty should be medium-well by then).
5.    On bottom bun, spread aioli. Top with patty. On top of patty place veggie and demi glace mixture (taste to adjust seasoning). Top with top bun and serve with fries.

Recipe: Chef Jose Gomez, USC’s Lab Gastropub  Photo: Brittany Stager, Mushroom Council