Korean Burger Recipe For Bulgogi Burgers with Gochujang

Bulgogi burgers with quick-pickled cucumbers

Name: Bulgogi burgers with quick-pickled cucumbers
Total time: 30 min
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 200ml rice vinegar; 75g caster sugar; 1 tsp ground turmeric; 1 or 1 medium cucumber Lebanese cucumber, thinly sliced; 4 tsp sunflower or vegetable oil; 4 brioche buns or soft white burger buns; 5 tbsp mayonnaise; 1 tsp toasted sesame oil; ½ small white cabbage, cored and finely shredded; 2 tsp soft light brown sugar; 4 tsp light soy sauce; 500g beef mince; 50g soft breadcrumbs; 2 cloves garlic, crushed; grated to make 2 tsp ginger; 2 tbsp gochujang, plus extra for serving (optional); 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds; a generous grinding black peppercorns

Preparation and cooking time
- Total time30 mins
- + chilling + pickling
Easy
Serves 4

Ingredients

200ml rice vinegar
75g caster sugar
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 or 1 medium cucumber Lebanese cucumber, thinly sliced
4 tsp sunflower or vegetable oil
4 brioche buns or soft white burger buns
5 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
½ small white cabbage, cored and finely shredded

BULGOGI BURGERS

2 tsp soft light brown sugar
4 tsp light soy sauce
500g beef mince
50g soft breadcrumbs
2 cloves garlic, crushed
grated to make 2 tsp ginger
2 tbsp gochujang, plus extra for serving (optional)
2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
a generous grinding black peppercorns

Method

STEP 1
To make the burgers, whisk together the sugar and the soy sauce in a bowl until the sugar has dissolved. Add the other burger ingredients and use your hands to mix and squash everything together. Roughly quarter and shape into 4 patties. Chill for at least 30 minutes to firm up.
STEP 2
Put the vinegar, caster sugar, turmeric and a pinch of salt in a small pan and bring to the boil. Bubble for 1 minute, then put the cucumber slices into a bowl and pour over the pickling liquid. Leave for 30 minutes or until cool.
STEP 3
Rub the burger patties with 1 tsp of oil each and heat a large heavy-bottomed, non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Fry the burgers for 5-6 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Warm the buns in a low oven at the same time.
STEP 4
Split the buns, mix the mayonnaise with the sesame oil and spread on all sides. Sandwich each beef burger with some of the pickled cucumber and a handful of shredded cabbage – plus an extra smear of gochujang, if you like.