Beef and Kimchi Burgers

, from Issue #76. January, 2018
Photography by Josh Griggs.
Beef and Kimchi Burgers

I’m always looking for another take on a beef burger and this version was a huge hit on recipe testing day – layers of juicy meat and melting cheese.

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS

½ cup fresh breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons milk
600 grams good beef mince
3 tablespoons gochujang (Korean chilli paste)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon sesame oil
small handful coriander, finely chopped
sea salt and ground pepper
Mayo
½ cup purchased mayonnaise
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2–3 teaspoons sriracha sauce or other chilli sauce
To cook and serve
oil
8 slices emmental or gruyère cheese
4 burger buns, toasted
lettuce leaves, sliced tomatoes and avocado your favourite brand of kimchi

METHOD

Burger: Stir the breadcrumbs and milk together in a large bowl.

Add the mince, gochujang, garlic, ginger, sesame oil and the coriander and season well. Combine everything together but don’t overwork the mixture. I use my hands for this. Form the mixture into 8 thin patties the same size as the buns. (You use two patties for each burger.)

Heat a little oil on a grill plate. Cook the burger patties until golden on both sides and just cooked through. Top each pattie with cheese, cover with a lid and leave until melted.

Mayo: Stir the ingredients together in a bowl.

To serve: Spread the buns with the mayo then top with lettuce, a pattie, tomato, another pattie, mayo, avocado and a spoonful of kimchi. Makes 4.