Kimchi Bacon Cheeseburger

I don't know why I haven't thought of making my own kimchi burgers before, but I DID think about that this week (again, a TOP Chef inspiration after there was some kind of burger last chance kitchen thing). This particular burger combination is outstanding: Bacon. Spicy Mayo. Cheese. Kimchi. What?! It feels fancy and treat-like during this time of fasting and coronavirus - maybe because I don't usually have cheese, and I don't think I've ever made a cheeseburger with mayo and bacon! It is definitely the best and most amazing burger I've ever made at home. Which is what I was going for - a restaurant sort of burger meal (in lieu of fries I roasted potatoes and sweet potatoes). I made mine without a bun because I didn't have any GF buns (nor do I really like most of the GF buns that are available). I did not miss it.

I did a search for kimchi and burgers, and clicked on an Emeril Legasse Kimchi-Bacon Cheeseburger combo with gochujang spicy mayo. Wow. It calls for special gochujang sriracha, which I didn't know existed, and which I didn't have, so I mixed my mayo with regular sriracha and added gochujang flakes, which I have aplenty for when I make kimchi. It meant my mayo had the flakes in it (gochujang powder would be better for this application), which was a little texturally strange, but still delicious.

For the mayo:
3/4 c (Homemade) mayo
1 1/2 T sriracha
1 T gochujang powder or flakes
1 tsp sesame oil (or hot sesame oil if you have it)

Mix everything together, and add more sriracha or sesame oil to taste.

For each burger:
Cheddar cheese slices
1/4 - 1/3 c chopped kimchi
1-2 slices of bacon
opt - 2 green onions, cut into thirds, using only the bottom two thirds

1. Season the burger with salt and pepper, and cook as you like. Add your slices of cheddar at the end to melt on top.
2. I stuck my green onions in the pan with my roasted potatoes and roasted them for 4-5 minutes. You could also saute them on high heat on the stove top.
3. Assemble all of your ingredients, including the spicy mayo (which I put on the side because, having no bun, felt like the more practical way to eat!)