Grilled Beef-Mushroom Burgers

Ingredients:

1 pound lions mane mushrooms

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

5 tablespoons sherry vinegar, divided

2½ teaspoons smoked paprika, divided

2 teaspoons garlic powder

⅛ teaspoon salt plus ½ teaspoon, divided

pinch of sugar

2 cups sliced cucumber

6 tablespoons mayonnaise

2 teaspoons tomato paste

2 pounds lean ground beef

8 ounces piquillo or Padrón peppers

6 ounces thinly sliced Manchego cheese

8 brioche buns, split and toasted

Greens, red onion and tomato

Directions:

1. In batches, pulse mushrooms in a food processor, scraping down the sides once or twice, until finely chopped.

2. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and the liquid has evaporated, 10-15 minutes. Add 4 tablespoons vinegar, 2 teaspoons paprika and garlic powder. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Scrape into a large bowl and spread into a thin layer. Let cool for 10 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, combine the remaining 1 tablespoon vinegar, ⅛ teaspoon salt and sugar in a small bowl. Add cucumbers and toss to com-bine. Combine mayonnaise, tomato paste and the remaining ½ teaspoon paprika in a small bowl. Set the cucumbers and aioli aside.

4. Preheat grill to medium-high.

5. Add beef and the remaining ⅓ teaspoon salt to the mushrooms. Mix well. Form into 8 equal patties, about 4 inches in diameter. Toss peppers with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a medium bowl. Transfer to a grill basket,

6. Oil the grill rack. Grill the burgers, flipping once, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part registers 155°F, 8 to 10 minutes total. Grill the peppers, stirring occasionally, until browned, 5 to 8 minutes total.

7. Top the burgers with cheese and cook until melted, 1 to 2 minutes more. Serve the burgers on buns with greens, onion, tomato, the peppers, cucumbers and aioli.

Recipe sourced from Eating Well magazine