Morel, Bacon Cheese Burger

Normally I wouldn't write about a burger, I think burgers are such a personal construction that it feels odd to write about this as a recipe. Obviously, this is the exception to my general rule of thumb. I also wanted to share it while the morel season is still here since I think the morels really make this burger special.

I do not eat a lot of red meat but when I do, I always go with high quality meat, meaning free range beef, whether it be a steak or a burger. Free range, also known as grass fed, not only tastes better to me but I like to support meat producers who use sustainable methods that are both healthy for the consumer as well as the animals, which in the case of beef means grass fed. Organic doesn't mean much in the beef world, other than the fact that the cows are fed with organic grain; they're still eating grain, which is not their traditional diet but was developed in order to increase production of meat products. If you want more information on why grass fed or free range beef is better all around, visit here.

Stepping off of the soapbox and getting back to the recipe, I cooked the bacon first and then sauteed the morels in the leftover bacon grease. The morels have such a distinct flavor that they outshone the bacon grease, which was a concern had after already throwing them in the pan. It was divine!

Morel, Bacon Cheese Burger

1 lb grass fed beef
1/4 lb morels, washed in several changes of salt water, drained and dried, cut in 1/2
3 slices of cheese (I used a local buttery gouda style cheese)
bread or buns, toasted if you choose

Fire up your grill so that when you're read to cook the meat the coals are white without flames (gas grills of course don't have this worry!). While the coals are heating, fry the bacon and allow to drain. Fry the morels 2-3 minutes per side, until they begin to lightly brown. Remove from pan. Form three patties out of the lb of beef, making them about 2 inches high and salt and pepper both sides. Cook over the grill to your liking (we like them medium rare, which means about 3-5 inches per side). Top with cheese, bacon and morels and eat with your favorite condiments!

Hugs!