American Wagyu Truffle Burgers with Maitake, Garlic Scapes, and Black Garlic Mayo

With the weather getting warmer for those of us in the northern latitudes, many people are marking the season by pulling out the grill and firing it up. While any manner of items might end up on those grills, many of them in this country will undoubtedly be loaded up with patties of ground beef. For in the collective consciousness of America, few things are more intrinsically linked to warm, sunny afternoons than juicy burgers hot off the backyard grill.  

We are no exception, and have no arguments with grilling up a classic burger (aside from making sure there sre gluten-free buns for Chele). We do understand, as we are sure most burger-lovers do, that not all burgers are born equal. Size, freshness, and quality of the patties are of utmost importance. The type of meat can play a huge part, too. This isn't just confined to what animal it came from, but even the variety of cattle when working just with beef. Angus, Kobe, Japanese Wagyu, Piedmontese, etc. all have unique characteristics in comparison to each other and to typical supermarket ground beef. Understanding all of these factors can mean the difference between crafting an epic burger and churning out an anonymous meat disk. 

So what, then, is one to do should they procure some exceptional burger patties? That was my dilemma after receiving my first order of American Wagyu (Kobe) burgers with black truffles from Fossil Farms. Not only were these high-quality patties from a highly regarded breed of cattle, there was the extra layer of being infused with prized black truffles. Sure, I could have served them with traditional toppings like lettuce, onion, pickles, etc., and I am sure they would have been great. I also could have gone for something a little more upscale that I knew would pair well, like bacon and blue cheese. That I am sure would have been excellent, but it still seemed like I was setting the bar too low. These burgers were something special, so anything that was going on top of them needed to be special, too....

Since these were already truffle-infused, I needed to choose my condiments with that in mind. Many other mushrooms complement the flavor of truffles, including my personal favorite, maitake (also known as hen-of-the-woods). Those were in for sure, along with some garlic scapes I had recently acquired. I decided to dice them small and braise them together in some sake and mirin. Since this was already skewing towards Japanese flavors, I opted to use some fresh green shiso leaves in place of lettuce. 

I felt it needed something creamy both for flavor and texture, as well as helping to hold things together. Cheese didn't sound right, so I went with a quick little mayonnaise concoction that I have been using as a dip and sauce for years: black garlic mayo. (We are absolutely mad about black garlic here, and I am flabbergasted that this is the very first post we've included it in). 

Finally, no burger is complete without a bun, and burger fans know that the BEST burgers are served on toasted buns. So I tossed some freshly baked, freshly buttered onion rolls on the grill to toast up a bit (for myself and Chele's husband Chris) along with a couple of pieces of gluten-free bread for Chele.

How were they? Do you really need to ask? I ended up reordering more of those burger patties several times, if that gives you a clue. And every single one of them was served this way. We recommend getting a hold of these exact patties if you want the full experience,  but you can, of course, top non-truffled, non-Wagyu burgers the same way. You could also try adding some truffle-infused oil or truffle powder to plain ground beef to get a similar effect (or use real black truffles, if you have access to them and feel the need to up the game even further).

Print Recipe

American Wagyu Truffle Burgers with Maitake, Garlic Scapes, and Black Garlic Mayo

Elevate your burger game by starting with American Wagyu (aka. Kobe) beef patties infused with black truffles. Top it off with fresh green shiso, braised maitake mushrooms and garlic scapes, and our simple-yet-exotic black garlic mayo.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Total Time35 minutes mins

Course: Main Course, Sandwich

Cuisine: Fusion

Servings: 3 burgers

Author: Gastricurious

Ingredients

• 3 American Wagyu burgers with black truffles or other good-quality burger patties
• 1 Tbs oil
• Maitake mushroom
• 1/4 cup chopped garlic scapes fresh or frozen
• 2 Tbs cooking sake
• 1 Tbs mirin
• 6 green shisho leaves
• 3 buns
• Butter

For the black garlic mayo:

• 8-10 cloves black garlic
• 1/2 cup mayonaise

Instructions

• Prepare grill and heat to medium-high heat.
• Heat 1 Tbs oil in a large skillet or wok over medium heat. Dice maitake mushroom and saute in oil until it starts to release its liquid and begins to brown, about 5 mins.
• Add diced garlic scapes. Continue cooking until scapes change color and begin to soften (about 3 minutes for fresh garlic scapes. A little longer for frozen).
• Reduce heat to low and stir in mirin and cooking sake. Cook until wines are completely absorbed, about 5 mins. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Prepare the black garlic mayo by placing the black garlic cloves in a bowl and mashing them to a paste. Add mayonnaise and stir until thoroughly blended. An immersion blender will allow you to make things perfectly smooth, but mashing and stirring with a fork will get the job done quite well.
• Grill your burgers to your preferred level of doneness (3-4 minutes per side for medium-rare). Remove from heat and allow them to rest on a plate for a few minutes.
• While burgers are resting, butter the insides of your buns. Place them butter-side down on the grill to toast them (about 30 seconds).
• Assemble the burgers by placing a pattie atop each lower bun. Top each with two shiso leaves and a few tablespoons of the maitake/garlic scape mixture. Spread a generous amount of the black garlic mayo on the inside of the top buns, then place atop the burgers, using the mayo to help hold the mushroom mixture in place. Serve immediately.

Notes

• Maitake mushrooms (aka hen-of-the-woods) are a large, dark brown mushroom that grows in clusters of flat “leaves”, rather than the classic “mushroom shape”. Farm-raised maitake is available year round at specialty markets and Asian grocery stores. Wild specimens are a favorite target of foragers in the fall (September, here in Chicago), and may be found for sale at farmers markets if you are not up to the task of searching for them yourself.
• Shisho (perilla) is a broad-leafed herb in the mint family that can be green, red, or both. The green variety is a staple in Japanese cuisine and is readily available at Asian markets focusing on Japanese food. It is also very easy to grow in the home garden.
• Garlic scapes are the flower stalks of the garlic plant, picked before the bloom opens. They have a texture similar to thin asparagus, with distinct (but not over powering) garlic flavor. Fresh scapes are available for a short time in the spring (primarily at farmer’s markets), but they can be found frozen year round. We have commonly found frozen garlic scapes at Asian markets, labeled as “garlic sprouts”.
• Black garlic has been popular in Asia for many years, but is only recently gaining attention here in the US. Often referred to as “fermented”, it is actually produced by continuous cooking under low heat for roughly a week. The cloves are pure black in color, very soft, and have a flavor more akin to dried fruit than garlic (it reminds me of a combination of dried figs and dark chocolate). Look for it at Asian markets, specialty grocery stores, or directly through the producers (we buy most of our from Black Garlic North America).