Recipe

Smoky Grilled Portobello Burger

Recipe Information

Total Time: 

1.5 – 16 hours; 30 minutes active

Servings: 

4

A mushroom is a perfect food for smoking, since it is porous and spongy by nature. The meaty portobello will shrink and become intensely concentrated as it cooks. Just be careful that you don't overcook.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons champagne wine vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper
  • 4 medium portobello mushroom, stems removed
  • 4 slices smoked cheese, optional
  • 4 leaves butter lettuce
  • 4 slices tomato
  • 4 whole wheat hamburger buns

Materials

  • 2 cups woodchips, soaked in water
  • 1 spray bottle filled with water
  • Smoker box or foil to make a pouch

Preparation

In a cup, whisk the olive oil, vinegar, salt and chipotle pepper. In a container large enough to hold all four portobellos, place the mushrooms gill side up and drizzle with the marinade, dividing it among the caps. Marinate for an hour or overnight. Prepare the grill for smoking (see Tips & Notes for instructions). Put the mushrooms on a plate to prepare for grilling.

  1. When the grill is ready and the cool side of the grate is oiled, place the mushrooms gill-side up on the grate. Close the lid and grill for ten minutes. Open the lid and, if the mushrooms have filled with liquid, use tongs to pour out and discard the liquid, then flip over the mushrooms and smoke for ten minutes longer.
  2. If using cheese, flip the mushrooms again and fill with smoked cheese. Put back on the grill and replace the cover for two minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
  3. Serve immediately on buns with lettuce, tomato and your condiments of choice.

Tips & Notes

1. Create hot and cool zones

For best smoking results, create hot and cool zones on the grill. The hot zone is where the smoke is created and the food may be seared. The cool zone is where the food is placed to allow the food to cook more slowly and absorb the smoky flavor. If your grill is too small to create both a hot and a cool zone, check your food for doneness earlier as it will cook faster over the high heat

2. Prepare your grill for smoking

Heat the grill

Gas grills: Remove the grate, then turn the gas on high. If your grill has more than one burner, use a single burner on one side. Once the grill is hot, place the smoker box filled with soaked woodchips, or a foil pouch filled with the same, on the hot side of the grill. Replace the grate.

Charcoal grills: remove the grate, pile the charcoal to one side and light it. Heat until it is hot and covered with white ash. Place the smoker box filled with soaked woodchips, or a foil pouch filled with the same, directly on the coals and replace the grate.

Get the woodchips smoking

Allow the woodchips to start smoking. Once you smell the smoke and see wisps of it, you are ready to smoke your food.

3. Smoke your food

Pour a couple tablespoons oil into a cup. Dip a clean paper towel into the oil, hold it with tongs and quickly oil the cool side of the grate (if there are no hot and cool zones on your grill, oil wherever you plan to place the food). Place the food on the oiled grate and quickly cover the grill to allow the food to cook and absorb the smoky flavor.

4. Keep the flames in check

Have a spray bottle of water ready to douse out any flare-ups.

Nutritional Information

167 calories, 2 g. fat, 0 mg. cholesterol, 279 mg. sodium, 33 g. carbohydrate, 7 g. fiber, 9 g. protein