Friday, April 17, 2009

Redefining American Grilling

Grilling in America is normally associated with burgers, dogs, steaks, but that doesn't mean vegetables  aren't good enough reasons to heat up the coals. Mushroom burgers make great burger alternatives or additions to traditional cookout fare. The smoky taste of the grill goes well with the earthiness of mushrooms. 

Grilled Portobello Burgers

Pick mushrooms that don't appear wet in the packaging because that is a sign the mushrooms aren't very fresh. The gills  on the bottom also should still be in good condition, not pressed down, wet or slimy. To start, wipe the tops of the mushrooms with a damp cloth. Running big mushrooms under running water makes them soak up water and they become tough and then they won't absorb any marinade or flavor. Great choices for adding flavor to marinades are soy sauce, balsamic vinegar or Worcestershire based. Shallots and garlic also go well, as well as rosemary. Extra virgin olive oil also adds a good flavor and helps keep the mushrooms moist when grilling. Mix marinade by getting a ziploc bag or some kind of baking dish or bowl. Place any garlic or shallots in the bottom with any seasonings. Add the soy, balsamic or Worcestershire to the seasonings. For well suited flavor profiles, keep seasonings within their families. Pick a dominant flavor, such as balsamic vinegar and build from that. Pick rosemary and garlic, possibly some Dijon mustard. Then stream in extra virgin olive oil and whisk. This is how any at home salad dressing is made. Saving the oil for last and whisking it in helps create an emulsion. The mushrooms can hang out in the marinade for up to a couple of hours. 

Grill gill-side up first, and then flip after about seven minutes and grill for another five minutes or so gill-side down. Fill the inside with some marinade while the top is cooking, and as the mushroom warms the marinade will cook inside the mushroom and be very flavorful. The mushrooms should decrease in size pretty dramatically, because they are full of moisture, so buy mushrooms larger than whatever bread or bun you're using. Extra marinade can be reserved for brushing on the mushrooms as they grill. These can either become a burger alternative or go atop a meat or vegetable patty. 

Serve mushroom burgers on a crusty roll, bun or dense sliced bread. Ketchup and mustard work fine, but experiment with salsas, barbecue sauces, and even hummus for condiments. Roasted red peppers, red onion, baby spinach and a nice roasted garlic hummus are great together. Looking for a good cheese, smoked gouda would work very well. But be clever, a Philly cheesesteak sandwich can also be replicated by slicing the grilled mushrooms thinly and adding caramelized onions, peppers and provolone cheese all on a hoagie roll. Just because it is vegetarian doesn't mean Americana has to be abandoned completely. 

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