Black and Blue Bacon Cheeseburger
A delicious knife-and-fork burger using fried mushroom caps as the buns.
Equipment
- Sous vide apparatus
Ingredients
For the Burgers
- 1 lb. ground beef 93% lean
- 4 ounces blue cheese crumbles divided
- 1 tbsp Cajun seasoning
- 2-4 slices bacon cooked
For the Mushroom Buns
- 4 large portobello mushroom caps
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1/3 cup pork rind crumbs
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- black pepper to taste
- 1 large egg beaten
- 1-2 cups avocado oil for frying
Instructions
For the Burger Patties
- Divide the ground beef into two equal portions. Smash them into flat disks and put 1 ounce of blue cheese into the center of each disk. Wrap the meat up around the cheese and seal into a ball, then smash the ball flat until it's about an inch thick. Make sure to seal the edges to ensure that no cheese leaks out. Sprinkle each side liberally with Cajun seasoning.
- For sous vide, set your apparatus to 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Seal each burger in a vacuum seal bag, then put it in the bath for 2 hours. Remove them from the bags, pat them dry, sprinkle with some extra Cajun seasoning if desired, then fry over high heat for 1-2 minutes per side, enough to get a brown crust on the outside of the meat. After flipping, you can top each one with the remaining 2 ounces of blue cheese crumbles and put a lid on the skillet to melt it.
- For grilling, grill for 6-8 minutes per side over medium high heat, until your burgers are the desired temperature. Make sure the center is at least 140 degrees for food safety.
For the Mushroom Buns
- Heat the avocado oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium high heat, until it reaches 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Rinse your mushroom caps and pat them as dry as possible with paper towels. Slice off excess stems if necessary.
- Mix together the parmesan, pork rind crumbs, garlic powder, and pepper on a dinner plate. Beat the egg in a small bowl.
- Using a pastry brush or your hands, coat the mushroom caps in egg, then dredge in the crumbs. Fry for 3 minutes per side, turning carefully with tongs, then remove from the oil and drain on a plate lined with paper towels.
- To assemble the burgers, use the larger mushroom caps as the bottom buns. Top with a burger patty, then bacon, then use the smaller caps as the top buns.
- Macros per serving (estimated due to variability in frying): 889 calories, 10 grams net carbs, 79 grams protein, 60 grams fat.