Gochujang Burger With Spicy Slaw
This may be the perfect all-purpose sauce — BBQ, marinade, dressing — for your summer cookouts. Tangy and sweet rice vinegar cuts through the spicy richness of gochujang (a Korean chile paste), and toasted sesame seed oil amps up the smokiness you get from the grill. The sauce does double duty in this recipe:It’s used to flavor the pork bulgogi-inspired patties, and it’s used as a dressing for the cucumber, sprout and carrot slaw. These burgers can also be made indoors in a large cast-iron or heavy skillet over medium-high heat.The sauce is also delicious slathered on grilled chicken or steaks. This is a serious crowd pleaser. While pork is considered a red meat, it’s lower in saturated fat but just as protein rich as beef. It’s also rich in zinc, enhancing the immune system and a healthy brain.
Makes: 4 servings
Time to cook: 45 minutes
Ingredients
3 tablespoons gochujang (Korean chile paste)
3 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for hands, grill grates and brushing on patties
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
4 garlic cloves, finely grated
1½ pounds ground pork
Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) and black pepper
1 medium Kirby cucumber, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
2 ounces soy bean sprouts, rinsed and drained (about 1 cup)
1 large carrot, grated on the large holes of a box grater
2 scallions, thinly sliced
4 burger buns, split
Mayonnaise, for serving
Cooking Instructions
1. Whisk together the gochujang, vinegar, olive oil, sesame oil, sugar and garlic in a large bowl; transfer half of the mixture to a medium bowl and set aside until ready to use.
2. Add the pork, 1½ teaspoons salt and ½teaspoon pepper to the large bowl with half of the gochujang mixture. Using 2 forks, begin “pulling” the ground pork apart as if you were shredding pulled pork, breaking up the clumps and incorporating the ingredients together without compacting the meat into a dense mass. Continue to pull the meat apart until thoroughly mixed and no clumps of pork remain, and all of the gochujang mixture has been absorbed.
3. Lightly oil your hands. Working one at a time, divide the pork mixture into 4 equal portions; roll gently between your hands into balls. Arrange on a rimmed baking sheet and flatten to patties about 1-inch thick.
4. Toss the cucumber, sprouts, carrot and scallions in the medium bowl with the reserved gochujang mixture until completely coated; season with salt and pepper. Let sit until ready to serve.
5. Prepare a grill for medium-high direct heat. Clean and oil the grates.
6. Grill the buns until toasted on both sides, about 30 seconds to 1 minute per side. Transfer to a baking sheet. Brush the patties on both sides with oil and grill until lightly charred on both sides and just cooked through, about 4 minutes per side, closing the grill top between flips as needed if using a gas grill. Transfer the burgers to a plate and let sit for 5 minutes.
7. Spread mayonnaise on the top and bottom sides of each bun. Top with burgers and gochujang slaw and serve.
Nutrition per serving
774 calories; 53 grams fat; 16 grams saturated fat; 26 grams monounsaturated fat; 8 grams polyunsaturated fat; 37 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 11 grams sugar; 37 grams protein; 899 milligrams sodium.
Recipe by Rick A. Martinez, NY Times Cooking
