Hey Bernice!

A few months ago I was trying to explain to my sister how good these burgers are, at the time I didn’t get the kind of focus and acknowledgement I was after. Months down the track she finally got to try them at Mum and Dad’s (Saturday night just gone) and kindly told me on Sunday how amazing they were. When I told her that the recipe was going to be my next post she promptly responded “That recipe is too good to share, that’s the kind of thing you want to keep a secret!”. I think that says it all – Don’t you?

I might just add… I especially love them because I’m not a massive meat eater, and the beautiful flavours added to the beef pattie disguise that really meaty flavour of the burger perfectly for me! As the recipe describes it “This modern take on the classic burger flavours the meat with garlic, ginger and sesame oil and serves it with soy-braised onions and chilli spiked mayonnaise”

Mum put me onto these, she clippered the recipe from the newspaper one weekend a few months ago. I’ve been told by a friend who also found the recipe and loves it that it came from The Age newspaper, Epicure section.

Korean beef burgers
Serves 4

600g minced beef (it says not too lean, but I like it lean and mince my own beef for that reason)
4 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 egg beaten
3 tbsp chopped spring onions
2 garlic cloves, minced
2cm knob of ginger, finely grated
1 tsp sugar
sea salt and pepper
3 tbsp vegetable oil
2 onions, halved and finely sliced
2 tbsp mirin (Japanese rice wine)
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar or wine vinegar
3 tbsp whole-egg mayonnaise
1 tsp chilli sauce (or sweet chilli sauce if you prefer)
4 burger buns (I use wholemeal buns to be a little healthier)
2 tsp sesame seeds
8 soft lettuce leaves
1/2 cucumber sliced
2 carrots cut into ribbons (use a sharp peeler)
2 small tomatoes sliced

• Mix the beef (using your hands) with 2 tbsp soy sauce, sesame oil, egg, spring onions, garlic, ginger, sugar, salt and pepper. Form into patties of a suitable size for your buns and refrigerate for an hour.
• Heat 2 tbsp of vegetable oil in a frying pan and cook onions over medium heat for 10 minutes, tossing well until softened. Add remaining soy, mirin and vinegar and cook for 5-10 minutes more until golden brown, Set aside.
• Whisk mayonnaise with the chili sauce.
• Brush burgers with remaining vegetable oil and grill or pan fry over medium heat for 4 minutes on each side, until golden browned (beware of burning).
• Split burger buns and lightly grill, or toast the insides.
• Layer base buns with lettuce leaves, cucumber, carrot, tomato and beef burgers. Finish off with onions, and sesame seeds. Place the mayonnaise on the bun top.

I can guarantee you will enjoy every mouthful!

Cheers,

Bernice