I keep seeing all these different versions of burgers in the summer issues of magazines. I want to try them all!
This particular recipe stood out because I love the idea of the ingredients together…hoisin and Sriracha. I love them both but had never incorporated them into the same meal.
The original recipe had things a little differently, and I changed them for a couple of different reasons. First of all, I believe the cucumbers were added to this burger to give it a textural change while eating, soft burger-crunchy cucumber. However, when I thought about it, I knew that placing a hot burger on top of cucumbers would equal a mushy-cucumber result. The recipe also called for grilled scallions in 4″ slices as a topping.
What I did instead was make a relish with the Sriracha mayo, cucumber and grilled scallions. I knew this would give a more crunchy result, and I still added more thinly sliced cucumbers to the ensemble, just for fun and looks. One of the key flavor ingredients was using sesame oil to brush onto the scallions while grilling. This flavor really carried over nicely to the mayo-relish combo, so don’t leave this out.
My reason for adding the scallions to the mayo and not leaving them in 4″ pieces on the burger, well….experience. If you’ve ever tried to bite through a grilled scallion, well it’s hard to do, even though they are soft from the grilling process. You end up just pulling them off the burger in every bite and they usually hit your chin and well…it’s messy. There are none left on the burger and it defeats the purpose of having them there.
So I hope you enjoy this burger, it’s a nice change from just a slice of cheese and some onion.
Hoisin Burger with Sriracha Relish
Ingredients
- 2 pounds 80% lean ground beef chuck
- salt and pepper
- hoisin sauce
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons Sriracha (or more)
- 1/2 cup diced cucumber, plus more sliced for burger assembly
- 5 scallions, grilled and chopped into 1" pieces
- 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 4 sesame buns, toasted
Directions
- Season ground beef generously with salt and pepper. (There was a whole section in the magazine about making the perfect burger. You'll have to buy the issue if you want to read about it. This is how I've always done it.) Gently (do not over work the meat) form four patties that are 5 inches wide and 3/4 inches thick. Make sure to indent the middle with your thumb. Place scallions brushed with sesame oil on the grill first, turning as necessary to get a nice char; about 2 minutes. Remove and set aside. Place burgers on the grill, cooking to desired doneness and brushing the patty generously with hoisin sauce during the last minute of cooking.
- Combine mayo, Sriracha, diced cucumber and scallions in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Toast buns and assemble burger with Sriracha relish on both sides of buns, sliced cucumbers and burger in the middle.
And here is a shot of my lovely assistant’s nose…
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