Umami Burgers With Port And Stilton

I have wanted to try this for so long, but it did disappoint a little. More cheese and port would have helped.  The rolls seemed to absorb a lot of the flavors. Some bites were very tasty, but most were just, in the words of Randy Jackson, pitchy. I made a couple of deviations from the recipe. I used woodears instead of the shiitake, I used ground chuck and the buns were egg bread knots from the bakery. The buns were very similar to brioche.  Dried shiitakes seem to be on strike, and the meat was 20% fat like the homemade combo of different cuts. I don't think that they were significant changes, at least not enough to ruin the dish.  Now I might make it again.  I have umami powder left over, but it didn't wow.  Now we are going out to the cul de sac and celebrate the coming new year:)

Umami Burgers With Port And Stilton
 4 Servings

1 c  ruby port
2 lb mixed ground beef brisket skirt steak and sirloin steak (20 percent
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 c  Stilton cheese (3 ounces) softened
Umami dust,for sprinkling (optional, see Note)
4    brioche hamburger buns buttered and toasted
[Note: Wine Cherry-rich Washington Merlot. Beer Malty brown ale:
Brooklyn Brewery  Brown Ale.  Our Pairing Suggestion  Tip: Burger
purists handle  ground meat  as little as possible; over-working the
beef can create a tight, meatloaf texture.  Resist the urge to pile on
any of the usual toppings  ]
1. In a small saucepan, cook the port over moderate heat until reduced
to 2 tablespoons, about 15 minutes.
2. Heat a cast-iron griddle until very hot. Form the meat into four 4-
by-1-inch patties without packing too tightly. Season generously with
salt and pepper. Add the patties to the griddle, cover with a roasting
pan and cook over moderately high heat for 4 minutes, until very crusty.
Flip the patties and cook, covered, for 2 minutes longer; top with the
Stilton and cook uncovered for 1 minute. Transfer the patties to a
plate and sprinkle with the umami dust, let rest for 2 minutes and set
on the buns. Drizzle with the reduced port, top with the buns and serve.

Notes The Secret Seasoning To make simplified umami dust, use a spice
grinder to pulse 3 tablespoons bonito flakes, 1/2 ounce crumbled dried
kombu, and 1/2 ounce dried shitake mushrooms into a powder. Umami dust
will soon be available at umamiburger.com.