I entered a recipe contest this summer. *Spoiler Alert* I didn't win, but the recipe that came of it is really delicious. I'd like to introduce you to the Korean Crunch Burger.
If you want to skip the story and just get the recipe, you can download it here:
The task for the contest was to create a blended burger. 75% meat (or meat substitute) and 25% mushroom. I hate mushrooms but we were in shelter-in-place and it sounded like fun to try it. The only mushrooms I'd ever found pleasant to eat were Paengi (Enoki) mushrooms that came in a dish I ordered in Seoul, so I decided that was the place to start looking for inspiration. Plus, M and I love Korean food so I had plenty of ingredients on hand to get started testing the recipe without having to go out to the stores during the shutdown. I started with a pork burger and eventually wound up using all beef for the final recipe, but half beef and half pork is also delicious. The beef really helps it stand up to the moisture of the mushrooms in the mix. I tested several different types of mushrooms to mix with the meat and determined that Oyster, King Oyster or a mixture of both gave it the best texture and taste. I coated and fried those Enoki mushrooms for the most amazing crunchy topping and paired it with a fast pickle inspired by the Korean banchan (side dish) called oi muchim. A sweet, spicy drizzle of my favorite honey gochujang (the perfect fermented pepper paste) glaze is the perfect compliment to this burger garlicky burger with zingy ginger flavors mixed in. Turns out, you can dislike mushrooms and still LOVE this burger. Give yourself an hour and make these burgers....your taste buds (and family if you share) will thank you! Let me know if you try it and send/post pictures so I can see it!
