Every once in a while, we enjoy a burger. We start with a pound of ground beef. I mix it with some shredded cheese to keep it moist. This time I added gochujang and some hot korean chili sauce for flavor. I always add an egg to bind it, and if its too wet when all that is added, then I add bread crumbs to get the wetness right. It needs to feel moist not wet. I let it all come together in the fridge for an hour or two, then I weigh it and divide it into 4 equal parts forming them into balls, then once I am done with that, I flatten them out to make patties, cover them and put them back in the fridge.
I roast and clean and divide an Anaheim pepper, crisp two strips of bacon, and cut two slices of cheese. I then make our special sauce. It’s typically mayo, ketchup and Tabasco. This time, to keep the Korean theme, I made it with gochujang, Korean chilli paste, a little ketchup, may and a splash of Tabasco to get the heat right.
I salt and pepper the burger before it goes into a hot pan, and sear both sides till the inner temp is 130 or so, then the cheese goes on and into a hot oven it goes under the broiler. We toast the ciabatta buns, sauce them, put lettuce, tomato and pickles on the bun, add the burger, on top the roasted pepper and the bacon and we are in business! It’s a prety fucking good burger, even if I say so myself!
My Life: A Memoir 