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!)

Grandma Ho Inspired Hamburgers

Grandma Ho is not my grandma, she is My Charming Companion's grandma, and really, this is not her exact recipe. She definitely did not use coconut aminos or coconut flour. Her hamburgers were famous, and she sold them at her restaurant called Honey's. This article, written when My Charming Companion's grandma died, is from the Honolulu advertiser and talks about her history, including the restaurant. In stories that I hear about her, she was totally tough, and also very compassionate; the article calls her a "legend."

My Charming Companion has made this recipe numerous times over the years, but it is ALWAYS different because he doesn't make it the same way each time (though there is always ginger). I asked if I could record all the ingredients so that I could make it sometime independently, and this is the version that came about. Yum!

1 lb burger
2 eggs
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp mustard powder
1 T coconut aminos
2 tsp coconut flour
1/2 tsp chipotle pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1+ tsp smoky salt (smoky is critical here)
pepper

1. Combine all the ingredients in a big bowl and mix thoroughly. Add salt and pepper to taste, I like things a little salty, so it was a little extra. Form mixture into 4 patties.
2. Cook/sear on a skillet. Because these burgers are a paleo version and use coconut flour and eggs as binders, they brown faster than a traditional mixed burger patty. Expect that they will brown/blacken quite a bit. Cook as you would any burger to your preferred done-ness. Both My Charming Companion and I prefer these more well done than usual: they are sort of like meatloaf burgers that seem to invite longer cooking.
3. Serve! These are great with homemade mayo of course, and pickles and tomato. You could also have sauteed onions. Or just eat them as they are!