Recreation of an Amazing Burger

This weekend in New Orleans, we had dinner at a tiny, neighborhood restaurant in the French Quarter: Port of Call.

I had perhaps the best hamburger I have ever eaten. I am not alone in that opinion, given the reviews I saw while looking for their website.

I ordered a mushroom cheeseburger, which knocked my socks off. It was char-grilled with tons of grated (swiss, I think) cheese and sautéed mushrooms. Even without the bun or the baked potato, it was far too big for me to finish (a half-pound, according to the menu), and I just loved it.

Tonight, I was craving it, but not up for a 8 1/2 hour drive each way for a burger. I did my best to recreate it, and I had the best burger I have ever made. It’s not the Port of Call burger, but it was a damn fine burger.

I have ground sirloin (10%), so I foreman-grilled a 3 oz burger until crispy on the outside (and still medium on the inside, by having the burger not completely defrosted). I sautéed an ounce of diced onion and an ounce of diced baby bella/cremini mushrooms in 1 teaspoon of olive oil and then added a teaspoon of sherry once they were browned, along with sea salt and some cracked pepper. Once the burger hit 160º internally, I removed it to a plate and grated swiss lorraine atop the burger, then added the mushrooms and onion.

Before I vacuum-packed the burgers, I added to each about 1/4 tsp of “steak seasoning” — the Canadian Steak Rub from the Colorado Spice Company, which also contributed to the overall flavor. Central Market carries an array of Colorado Spice Company spices in bulk and they are really terrific — and organic. (Bulk spices are the best things ever. Buy just what you need, rather than let a drawer full of spices go stale. What a concept.)

Nutrition: 3 oz ground sirloin 150 cal, swiss lorraine 55 calories, 1 oz onion 12 cal/2.5 carb, 1 oz mushrooms 6 cal/.6 carb, olive oil 40 cal, Sherry 6 cal/.42 carb. Total calories: 269 calories/3.52 carb.