This past weekend, my family and I were at Yosemite National Park. There was a deer grazing freely in the meadow under the towering grandeur of Half Dome. Boy did that make me hungry! Following is a Yosemite and Bambi inspired dish I call Half Dome. It is a 1/3 lb venison burger stuffed with blue cheese stacked on caramelized onions and an oven roasted Portobello mushroom topped with avocado, bacon and blue cheese. I finished this dish with easy garlic mayo dressing (optional). This one is a monster in size and flavor; it’s a dish worthy of being named Half Dome.
Half Dome (Blue cheese stuffed venison burger on caramelized onions and Portobello mushroom)
Serves 4
- 1 1/3 lbs ground venison
- 1 large onion (thinly sliced)
- 4 slices of bacon (thick sliced)
- 4 large size Portobello mushrooms (stems removed)
- Blue cheese
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 avocado
- 1 cup of beer
- 1 tsp of nutmeg
- 1 tsp of dried thyme
- salt
- pepper
Quick garlic mayo sauce (just mixed it together)
- 3 Tbsp mayonnaise
- 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 clove garlic (crushed)
- pinch of salt and pepper
1. Take the stem offof the mushroom and place the mushroom on a ring (made with cooking foil) on a sheet pan. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Salt and pepper the mushroom and place 1/2 Tbsp of butter on top and bake it in the oven for 10 minutes.
3. On Medium high heat, cook the bacon, saving the rendered fat in the pan.
4. Place the cooked bacon on a plate lined with paper towel.
5. Using the same pan, saute the sliced onions on medium heat until caramelized. (15 – 20 min.)
6. While the onions are caramelizing, combine the venison, 1 tsp thyme, 1 tsp of salt, 1 egg yolk, 1/2 tsp of pepper, and 1 tsp of nutmeg. Mix well.
7. Divide the ground meat mixture into 4 equal parts and form a large size meat ball. Place 1 Tbsp of blue cheese in the middle.
8. Form the patty to be about 1 inch thick and place it on a plate lined with plastic wrap. Place the patties in the fridge until you are ready to cook them.
9. On medium heat, cook the patties for 4 – 5 min until a deep golden crust has developed. Then flip each one over and cook for 4-5 min more.
10. Increase the heat to high, add 1 cup of beer to the pan, and cover the pan to ensure through cooking (cook until most of the liquid has evaporated).
11. Remove the mushroom out of the oven, discarding any water that has accumulated in the cap, and place few slices of blue cheese on top.
12. Place the caramelized onions on top, followed by the patty, avocado slices, and bacon slices. Garnish with bit of blue cheese and dressing.
Happy eating – Robert.
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