In grilling season, there’s probably no food more popular than burgers. And while many kinds of burgers have become mainstream, from turkey to tuna to vegetarian, beef remains king.
But what if you could have the taste and juiciness of beef while cutting back on a bit of the fat?
The answer: Add in some mushrooms.
When chopped, mushrooms (either cooked or raw) have a similar texture to ground meat, and blend right in. It’s a nice way to lighten up a summertime staple.
And then there’s ponzu sauce, with which I’ve recently become a little besotted. Ponzu is a citrus-based sauce used often in Japanese cooking. It is salty and tangy, made from vinegar, mirin (a low-alcohol rice wine), seaweed and fish flakes (please, don’t be turned off), and it has just a wonderful flavor. The citrus most commonly added is either juice or zest from yuzu or sudachi, two fruits from East Asia.
Ponzu sauce is often drizzled over foods for a finishing touch, or used as a dip, but here it’s blended into the meat and mushrooms for yet another layer of umami (Japanese for “savory”).
Both ponzu sauce and wasabi paste (or wasabi powder, which can be blended with water to make a paste) are available at Asian markets and in the Asian aisle of well-stocked supermarkets.
For these burgers, the wasabi mayo is optional. They also would be great with ketchup or mustard, and of course lettuce, onion and tomato.
A last cooking tip: Chilling the burgers before grilling them helps them hold their shape. They also are great seared up in a pan, and hold together even better.
ASIAN BEEF-MUSHROOM BURGERS
Start to finish: 2 hours
Servings: 6 burgers
Asian burgers:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound shiitake or baby Portobello mushrooms, sliced
Kosher or coarse salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
3 tablespoons ponzu sauce, plus more for brushing
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons minced garlic
4 teaspoons grated ginger
2 pounds ground beef
Wasabi mayonnaise (optional):
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon wasabi paste, or to taste
Nutrition information per serving: 548 calories; 313 calories from fat; 35 g fat (11 g saturated; 1 g trans fats); 147 mg cholesterol; 907 mg sodium; 29 g carbohydrate; 3 g fiber; 6 g sugar; 28 g protein.
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