Bison Burgers With All The Fixins

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Typically, weeknight meals -- if I cook at all -- are somewhat lazy. I work long hours, and the thought of starting a complex recipe at 8 or 9pm is an unrealistic pipe dream. As a result, I eat a lot of a baked eggs and avocado toast. Once in a while, when I actually plan ahead for the week, I whip up something only slightly more time-consuming that that is relatively healthy and satisfies a heartier urge.  

On those occasions, one of my recent favorites has become these bison burgers. Bison is high in protein, but much lower in fat than ground beef. I use whole wheat buns and mix and match the toppings so it doesn't get boring. This past week, I seasoned the meet with rosemary, garlic, and a red pepper and topped them with sautéed mushrooms and spring mix salad.  

I also made a side of oven-roasted sweet potato fries, because everything is better with a side of fries. If you are going to make the sweet potato fries, make sure to start them in the oven at least 20 minutes before you start cooking the meat, because they take at least twice as long as the burgers.  

For four burgers you will need:

1 lb of ground bison (I used Great Range brand from Whole Foods) 

1 tsp dried rosemary

1 tsp garlic powder 

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper 

salt & pepper, to taste

1/2 lb of mixed mushrooms (I used shiitake and button mushrooms) 

1 tsp butter 

2 tsp olive oil

A hearty handful of salad greens 

Cheese if you wish (I always do)

Four whole wheat buns 

First, season the meat with the rosemary, garlic power, cayenne, and salt and pepper. Form it into four equally sized patties and then set it aside while you cook the mushrooms.

For the mushrooms, I follow the french model of cooking them in both olive oil and butter. It sounds rich, but it really makes a world of difference in the flavor and elevates them to that 'restaurant quality'.

Slice the mushrooms, drizzle lightly with the EVOO, sprinkle salt and pepper generously over the mushrooms, then sauté them over medium heat until they start to soften. When the color starts to turn darker, add in a pat of butter, and let them finish cooking. They are done when the color is golden brown and are starting to get a slight crisp around the edges. 

Take them off the stove, and set them aside. 

In the same pan (don't rinse it out!), place all four bison burgers and cook over medium high heat. Ground bison needs to be at an internal temperature of 160 degrees Farenheit, so to be safe I use an electric thermometer.   
 

Cook the burgers on one side without flipping until the color changes from pink to brown about halfway up the side of the burger.  For me this took about 4 minutes. Then my favorite part - the flip!!
 

Once you complete the flip, check the internal temperature to see how close you are to 160 degrees. When you reach 160, they are done! Take them off the heat, and top them with all the fixings! 

If you are making cheeseburgers, place your cheese on the burgers when they are just about done - about 150 degrees. If you hold a large top (for a large stock pot, for example) over the frying pan -- without setting it down -- for a few seconds, the cheese should melt.

Once your burgers are done, it is time to assemble and enjoy the finished product. Shake Shack ain't got nothing on you.  

What's your favorite weeknight meal?  Leave us suggestions in the comments below!