Porcini Burgers with Cremini Mushrooms
By Luke Smithson

yield: x4 ea 5oz burgers
This recipe takes advantage of your dried bolete stash while adding a rich, savory mushroom element to the final dish.  Additionally, adding mushrooms to ground meat helps you cut back on the amount of meat you use in your recipe.  The beef can be substituted with ground turkey, venison or any other meat that you desire.
1 oz        dried porcini mushrooms (or any tasty dried bolete)
1 pint    water
4 tbsp   cooking oil (canola, sunflower, etc)
1 tbsp   minced shallot
1 tsp      minced garlic
1 lb         ground beef
2 tbsp   chopped thyme (fresh)
1 tsp      salt
¼ tsp     black pepper
6 oz        cremini mushrooms
2 oz        sliced Swiss cheese
4 ea       burger rolls
                lettuce, tomato and onions as desired

• Soak dried porcini in hot water for 30 minutes.  After 30 minutes, carefully lift mushrooms from water, gently squeezing.  Reserve liquid.
• Sauté porcini over medium high heat in half of the oil until browned, about 2 minutes.  Add shallot and garlic for an additional 30 seconds.
• Pour reserved mushroom soaking liquid over cooking mushrooms, using caution to not pour in the grit that has settled to the bottom of soaking liquid.
• Cook until liquid has evaporated off, leaving mushrooms semi dry.  Season with salt and pepper and allow to cool.
• Once cool, mince mushrooms, then mix with beef, thyme, salt and pepper.  Mix well and form into 4 equal burger patties. 
• Sauté cremini mushroom in other half of oil.  Season with salt and pepper and reserved.  Cook burger patties until medium rare, then top with cooked cremini mushrooms and Swiss cheese.  Allow cheese to melt.
• Serve on warmed burger rolls with your burger condiments of choice.