Turkey Burgers That Never Dry Out
TASTIER
GLUTEN-FREE
Makes 4 patties
Face it: Turkey burgers can have the worst texture—some impossible mix of crumbly and gummy—mostly because the patties need to be cooked until close to well done for safety’s sake. A lot of turkey burger recipes call for adding breadcrumbs soaked in milk or water—which gives the patties an unappealing, meat-loaf-like texture. Nix the bread and solve the problem with the simple trick of adding finely—and yes, very finely—chopped mushrooms to the meat. Unless you’ve got a great knife game, the best way to get the mushrooms prepped is to use a food processor. Pulse—don’t process. And open the machine a couple of times to rearrange the larger mushroom bits so they can all hit the blade.
6 ounces white button mushrooms, cleaned (do not stem)
1 medium shallot, peeled and quartered
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus additional for the grate or grill pan
1 pound ground turkey breast meat
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon dried dill
½ teaspoon table salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1. Put the mushrooms and shallot in a food processor; cover and pulse until finely chopped but not pureed.
2. Set a medium skillet over medium heat for a couple of minutes, then swirl in the oil. Add the finely chopped mushrooms and shallot; cook, stirring almost constantly, until the moisture comes out of the mushrooms and it evaporates to a glaze, 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Scrape the contents of the skillet into a large bowl and cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
4. Add the ground turkey, mustard, dill, salt, and pepper to the mushroom mixture. Stir well to combine until uniform, then divide into four equal portions and shape into ½-inch-thick patties.
5. Brush the grates clean and prepare a grill for direct, high-heat cooking; or heat a grill pan over medium-high heat for a couple of minutes. Brush the grates or the pan with olive oil. Add the turkey patties directly over the heat and cook, turning once, until an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the patties registers 165°F, about 8 minutes.
Turkey meat is usually labeled very accurately. If the package says “turkey breast,” it’s got skin and maybe bits of cartilage but it’s white meat. If it says “turkey breast meat,” it’s missing the skin and other bits. And if it says “ground turkey,” it’s got everything, all the bits and pieces of the bird.
Voilà! Don’t like to touch raw turkey? Form the patties between two plastic lids: Scoop out a quarter of the mixture, place it on one lid, set another lid on top, and press gently to form a compact patty.