“Americans are one of the only food cultures that think of vegetables as a side. I believe we should be eating more vegetables (and whole foods in general) and think blending mushrooms into the meal itself helps us get closer to making meals more nutritious and therefore allowing us to lead more productive lives.” — Chef Jenn Louis, Lincoln Restaurant, Portland, Oregon
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Jenn Louis is executive chef and owner of the acclaimed Portland, Oregon restaurant Lincoln. The menu takes its cue from the seasons, harvesting locally-grown ingredients and transforming them into sophisticated, yet honest fare.
Jenn was a semifinalist for the 2010 and 2011 James Beard Foundation’s “Best Chef Northwest.” The popularity of her restaurants launched her career to a national scale and she was named one of Food & Wine’s prestigious Best New Chefs.
When not in the kitchen or planning events, Jenn can be found traveling the globe, teaching cooking classes, playing the drums or spending time with her cats, Wasco and Silverado Silverstein.
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Ingredients
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degree F.
For the tomato butter sauce, place tomatoes and butter in a large sauce pot. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 20 minutes, season gently with salt. Set aside.
For burger patties, break maitake mushrooms into large chunks. Warm a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, add olive oil and mushrooms, cook until tender and golden. Season lightly with salt, cool completely. Place mushrooms in a food processor and pulse several times to 1/4-inch pieces.
In a large bowl, combine mushrooms, beef, ground bacon, ricotta, pecorino-romano, eggs, nutmeg, sage leaves, breadcrumbs and 1 3/4 tablespoons salt, mix well. Form into four 8-ounce, oval balls. Place patties on an ovenproof tray, flatten slightly and spoon over 2/3 of the tomato butter sauce. Cover tray with foil and bake for 1 hour, turning the tray 180 degrees after 30 minutes.
To serve, toast brioche buns, place a warm burger patty on bun, top with 1-ounce provolone cheese and warm sauce. Top with bun and serve.
