Recipe report: Burgers

Burger menus are exploding, with lots of activity around plant-based patties as well as perennial favorites. These five scratch-made burgers offer options for vegans, meat lovers and customers seeking something a little different on the bun.

Chef Stephanie Izard mixes ground beef with shiitake mushrooms to create her version of the plant-forward blended burger. She differentiates the burger with housemade seasonal condiments, including asparagus tapenade, rhubarb mostarda and brown butter miso aioli.

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Veggie burgers are available commercially, made from plant-based ingredients such as grains, soy and beans. At Little Bear in LA, chef Frederick Guerrero crafts a veggie burger in-house from farro, red beans and mushrooms, then tops it with a tofu aioli and sliced avocados. The low-labor, high-flavor recipe will tempt vegans and flexitarians alike.

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Differentiate the burger lineup by adding a nonbeef option for meat lovers. At Blackbelly in Boulder, Colo., chef-owner Rosenberg combines ground lamb and pork for a signature burger, adding a blend of rosemary, garlic, cumin and smoked paprika to jack up the flavor. Goat cheese and balsamic onions add a sophisticated touch to the build.

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Ground turkey makes for a lower-fat burger that gets high marks for flavor when seasoned and sauced Thai-style. The veggie slaw topping the burger adds both color and crunch.

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Nothing says barbecue season like a charcoal-grilled burger. Chef Michael Symon doubles up on barbecue flavor by layering grilled pork burgers with chile-spiced pulled pork. A topping of melted Gruyere cheese and pickled onions completes the flavor profile.

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