This blended burger recipe won the professional chef category of the 2021 Food Network and Mushroom Council’s Blended Burger Contest!! I had the honor to attend the Blended Burger Contest that the Mushroom Council put on with the James Beard Foundation a few years ago and was excited about the contest when I came across it again this year.
Blended burgers are burgers that are made of both meat and mushrooms. For this contest the burger had to contain 25% a mushroom of your choice.
For this burger, I tried to think outside of the box because I wanted to create something that would stand out against a traditional burger. I decided to go with a Banh Mi inspired burger because I love how Vietnamese cuisine perfectly blends salty and sweet all while mixing in pickled vegetables and fresh ingredients. Whenever I am eating southeast Asian food, especially Vietnamese, I feel like theres a little party going on in my mouth and I can’t get enough.
I decided to use shiitake mushrooms for this burger as they are typically found in Asian cooking. I also added the cooked oyster mushrooms on top to add some extra mushroom flavor and meatiness to the burger.
For the rest of the burger patty I used a combination of 50% ground pork and 50% ground beef. I wanted to incorporate pork because it is commonly found in Vietnamese cooking and specifically in Banh Mis. I felt that a full pork burger might have been a little overpowering so I mixed it with beef.
This is a unique take on a burger, but it sure is delicious! I can’t wait to see what you think!
Don’t forger, it pairs perfectly with smashed air-fryer potatoes. Top them with thinly sliced spring onions and cilantro. Serve alongside leftover spicy lime mayo.
Bahn Mi Inspired Blended Burger
Ingredients
Burger
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp chopped cilantro
- 1 tsp Thai basil
- 1 tsp minced ginger
- 1 ½ tsp roughly chopped lemongrass
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp dark brown sugar
- Black pepper to taste
- 3 oz ground pork
- 3 oz ground beef
- 2 oz shiitake mushrooms finely chopped
Picked Vegetables
- ¼ cup water
- ⅓ cup unseasoned rice vinegar
- ½ tsp fish sauce
- ½ tsp minced ginger
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ cup shredded carrots
- ¼ cup shredded beets
Spicy Lime Mayo
- ½ cup Mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp sriracha sauce
- Juice of one lime
Toppings
- 4 large oyster mushrooms
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- Black pepper to taste
- 1 tsp fish sauce
- Cilantro finely chopped
- Chiffonade Thai basil
- Green onion thinly sliced
- ½ lime cut into wedges
- 2 Buns (a Kaiser roll gives the perfect level of crunch!)
Instructions
- n a small bowl create a marinade for the burgers by combining the garlic, cilantro, Thai basil, ginger, lemongrass, fish sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar and pepper. Add the pork, beef, and shiitake mushrooms to the bowl. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, mix until the marinade is completely incorporated into the meat mixture. Place plastic wrap, or other seal, tightly over the bowl and place the burger mixture into the refrigerator for 30 minutes to 2 hours.
- Meanwhile, quick pickle your vegetables by combining the water, unseasoned rice vinegar, fish sauce, minced ginger and salt into another medium sized bowl. Whisk to combine. Add in shredded carrots and beets. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, or other seal, and refrigerate until you are assembling the burgers.
- While your burgers are marinating and your vegetables are pickling, mix the mayonnaise, Sriracha and lime juice together to create your spicy lime mayo. This, too, can be covered tightly and refrigerated until you are ready to assemble.
- To prep your burger toppings, heat a cast iron pan over medium to high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of sesame oil. Once hot and glistening, add each oyster mushroom top down into the pan. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of soy sauce and season with pepper. Using another heavy skillet, press down on the mushrooms to flatten. Leave the skillet on the mushrooms and cook, undisturbed until they begin to slightly crisp and turn golden brown, around 4 minutes. Remove the skillet on top, add 1 teaspoon of fish sauce, swirling around the cast iron. Flip over the mushrooms and continue to cook around 3-4 more minutes or until the underside is also golden brown. Remove the oyster mushrooms from the cast iron and cool on the side. Keep the heat on on the skillet.
- Take the burger meat out of the refrigerator and, using your hands, form two equally sized patties. The patties may seem slightly wetter than usual, but this is perfectly fine. Place the patties into the cast iron skillet and cook undisturbed on medium heat for around 6 minutes or until a good crust has formed and the meat easily releases itself from the skillet. Flip over the burgers and cook for an additional 4-5 minutes or until cooked through. Remove the burgers from the cast iron and rest them on a cutting board or plate.
- Time for assembly! Cut a kaiser roll in half and lightly toast it. Spread spicy lime mayo on the bottom half of the bun. Top with a burger. Remove the pickled vegetables from the refrigerator and, using a fork, lift out some of the carrots and beets. Press the vegetables into the side of the bowl to get rid of excess pickling liquid. Place some pickled carrots and beets on top of the burger patty. Top this with 2 of the cooked oyster mushrooms. Finally, sprinkle with chopped cilantro, chiffonade Thai Basil and thinly sliced spring onion. Place the top of the bun on the burger and serve with 2 lime wedges.
- Best enjoyed with my smashed air-fryer potatoes with reserved spicy lime mayo!
Notes
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