Hamburger Steak

Remember a couple weeks ago I mentioned how much I love hamburger in any form? So of course I was super excited to try Johnny’s hamburger steak this week. It is, after all, just a low carb hamburger. Along with my hamburger steak, I was delighted by the sides of sautéed mushrooms and pasta salad.

Like all JMS meat, this hamburger steak was cooked to perfection. It arrived on my plate warm, juicy, and covered in onions. I’m here to tell you that those onions are the perfect crunch to complement the meaty texture of the hamburger.

I’m pretty sure I’ve already written about Johnny’s pasta salad but in case you haven’t read that post, here’s a quick review of today’s pasta salad: lots of pasta, lots of flavor. I’ll never get over how colorful Johnny’s pasta salad is– loaded with tomatoes, olives, and purple onion.

Now for the grand finale: Johnny’s award-winning sautéed mushrooms. I’m not really a mushroom eater (remember the surprisingly yummy fried mushrooms) but I believe Johnny’s sautéed mushrooms have changed my mind.

I vow that from now on I’m going to give all mushrooms a chance. I’m not convinced any other mushrooms will be as delicious as Johnny’s but they deserve a chance.

So yes, I LOVED Johnny’s sautéed mushrooms. Maybe it was the wine sauce. Maybe it was trying a bite of mushrooms with a bite of hamburger steak. Maybe it was because of the quality of the mushrooms Johnny uses. Regardless, I’m pretty sure I’ll be ordering sautéed mushrooms as a side with my next hamburger steak, fish fillet, or brisket sandwich.

Now I mentioned that these mushrooms are award-winning. I wasn’t just saying that because I like them :)

At the 2010 Georgia Barbecue Classic in Cartersville, not only did the Johnny Mitchell’s Smokehouse team win grand champion, they also took first place in the open pit challenge. The open pit is a chef’s chance to branch out and wow the judges with something unique, something not-barbecue.

I have the inside scoop on Johnny’s prize winning open-pit entry and it includes mushrooms! Johnny’s team impressed the judges with a marinated and grilled lamb chop served on a bed of Mediterranean mashed potatoes topped with a pinot noir mushroom reduction sauce, and pico de gallo.

This award winning pinot noir mushroom reduction sauce is very similar to the sautéed mushrooms that Johnny serves in the smokehouse every day. I knew Johnny serves his award-winning barbecue here but I never thought about sides!

So here’s what I’ve learned:

1. Johnny always wants to bring the best food to his customers and will serve competition-quality mushrooms to anyone who’s willing to give them a try.
2. I love mushrooms, as long as they’re done right!
3. Always check out more pictures on facebook :)