Fun Fun Cook (享樂煮意): Korean Kimchi Burger with spicy Mayo

I love Korean food. Today I make a Kimchi burger for lunch. I will make Kimbap next week.

Korean Kimchi Burger with spicy Mayo

Ingredients:

Ø 180g beef (minced)

Ø 1 garlic clove (finely grated)

Ø ½ tsp fresh ginger (finely grated)

Ø 2 tbsp breadcrumbs (made from day-old bread)

Ø ½ egg (beaten)

Ø 1 tsp soy sauce

Ø ½ tsp brown sugar

Ø 1 tsp olive oil

Ø 2 soft large seeded burger buns (halved)

Ø 2 iceberg lettuce leaves

Ø 90g kimchi (canned)

Ø 1/8 tsp grounded black pepper

Ø ¼ tsp white wine

Ø ½ shallot (finely grated)

Ø 1 tsp corn flour

Ø 6 tbsp light mayonnaise

Ø 2 tbsp gochujang (spicy Korean chili paste)

Method:

1.	Divide the 90g kimchi into 3 equal portions. Take one portion and minced for seasoning the beef. Squeeze out a bit of kimichi juices before mincing. Shredded 60g for topping and set aside.
2.	Place the beef, minced kimchi, garlic, ginger, breadcrumbs and shallot in a big bowl. Season with soy sauce, brown sugar, black pepper, white wine, shallot and corn flour. Mix with your hands until evenly combined. Overmixing makes the meat tough.
3.	Divide the mixture into 2 equal portions. Shape each portion with hands into a patty about 7 cm in diameter and 1 cm thick.
4.	Put the patties on a plate. Cover with cling wrap and place it in the fridge for 1 hour to rest.
5.	Preheat the oven at 140°c. Place the burger buns on a tray in an oven for 5 minutes until a bit crispy.
6.	Heat the olive oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium-low heat and cook the patties for 4 minutes on each side or until browned and cooked through.
7.	Transfer the patties onto a plate, set aside and keep warm.
8	For the gochujang-mayo sauce – Mix the gochujang and mayo sauce in a bowl.
9.	Generously spread the bottom halves of the toasted burger buns with gochujang-mayo sauce.
10.	Top with the patties, lettuce and shredded kimchi and cover with the burger bun tops.
11.	Serve with salad or chips.

Tips:

1.	It is important to use mince from a cut of meat that has a little fat. This will not only add flavour, it also ensures a tender burger by preventing the patties from drying out during cooking. However, mince that is too fatty will expel the excess fat during cooking, causing the patties to shrink and toughen considerably.
2.	Flavors vary between different brands of kimchi. Some are too salty and spicy. Adjust seasoning as necessary.