Buttery Beef & Porcini Patties

Commercially available ground beef is, regrettably, getting leaner and leaner, driven by decades of misinformation about fat. You could make a special trip to a butcher and ask for ground chuck, but sometimes a one-stop shop is all you’re after. Enriching supermarket mince with butter is the answer. Browning the butter first gives the meat a nutty flavour characteristic of the best dry-aged beef. ½ oz (15 g) dried porcini mushrooms

1 cup (250 mL) boiling water

3 tbsp (45 mL) unsalted butter

1 tbsp (15 mL) Japanese soy sauce (such as Kikkoman brand)

1½ lbs (680 g) medium ground beef

Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 Place porcini in a small heatproof bowl and pour boiling water over; let stand 30 minutes. Drain (reserve soaking liquid for another use if you like). Once mushrooms are cool enough to handle, squeeze dry over the sink; finely chop and set aside. 2 In a small pot, melt butter over medium heat; let cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until foaming has subsided and particles in butter are light brown. Add porcini and soy to pot, stir and immediately remove from heat. Let cool to room temperature. 3 Crumble ground beef into a large bowl; spoon butter mixture over. Gently mix to combine and form into 4 equal-sized patties, about ¾ inch (2 cm) thick (patties may be made up to a day in advance, covered tightly with cling wrap and refrigerated). 4 Season patties with salt and pepper as you would a steak. Cook over a high grill for 3 to 4 minutes per side or until no longer pink in centre.

Serves 4