Rachel Johnson of Austin, Texas, created a $25,000 burger — using a patty of minced mushrooms and pork.
The Mushroom Council and Bon Appétit announced the $25,000 grand prize winner, one of 389 home cooks who answered the call in May to invent an original blended burger recipe using at least 25% fresh mushrooms into the patty as part of the first Blended Burger Project: Home Edition, according to a news release.
Competitors shared a photo of their creations on Instagram using the hashtag, #BlendedBurgerContest, and entered the recipe on bonappetit.com.
Johnson’s Pork & Shiitake Larb Burger won for presentation, originality and flavor profile.
“My blended burger was inspired by a traditional Thai meat ‘salad’ with sweet and spicy sauce, savory peanuts and a generous helping of fresh herbs,” Johnson, a recipe developer, food writer and author of the Unicorn Food cookbook, said in the release. “The addition of shiitake mushrooms offsets the richness of ground pork in the patty, and a bright and crunchy salad ties the whole burger together for a mix of crunchy, salty, savory and sweet.”
Blended Burger Project: Home Edition mirrors the Blended Burger Project restaurant competition.
“Blended burgers are a way for meat lovers to embrace the plant-forward movement,” Bart Minor, president and CEO of the Mushroom Council, said in the release.
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