Mushroom Burgers

It was still hot, so I decided to barbecue.  The packages of ground beef that day at the market were not the weight I wanted, and the line at the meat counter was long.  Instead, I picked up one that was slightly small and half a pound of crimini mushrooms.

These aren't mushroom burgers in the traditional sense of spooning prepared mushrooms on top of a burger.  I put them inside with other seasonings as a filler.  Flavor-wise, it worked.  They did not stick together as well as I'd hoped, and I lost a bit when I flipped them.  This was possibly from not letting them rest after shaping.  Or, maybe I should have added an egg as a binder.  You can tell that I don't do hot weather well, and barely managed to cook up a few burgers and some corn.  I can't wait for Fall and all of the inspiration it brings.

1 lb 80/20 ground beef (the ideal fat for burgers)
1/2 lb crimini (baby portobella) mushrooms
2 stalks green onion
*salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste
4 hamburger buns for serving

1.  Finely chop mushrooms and onions.  Mix all ingredients together and let flavors meld in the fridge while you heat up the grill, about one hour.

2.  Shape into 4 patties, about 1/3 lb each (I had 5 small buns, so I made the patties a little smaller).  Grill until browned and cooked on bottom, then flip to finish cooking the other side.  You want to try to flip them only once, so they are less likely to fall apart or lose their juices.  When patties have reached 165º, serve on toasted hamburger buns with desired toppings and ketchup or bbq sauce.

Difficulty rating  π