It's hotter than Hades in Palm Springs...but SOOO windy. I was going to bbq burgers, but... because of the crazy weather, I'm pivoting and making my burgers -inside - and, yes...frying them! We have a favorite restaurant in Seattle that makes different iterations of Katsu Burgers, and they are truly awesome. So, I made my version of this. It's also a good excuse to use my favorite condiment, Gochujang Korean Chili Sauce. Instead of boring old dill chips, I did a quick pickling of cucumbers, made a Gochujang mayo, sliced up some good old iceberg lettuce, and tossed this with the juice from of jar of sliced jalapenos I had in the fridge. Let me say...it turned out soooooo good... try it!
1. Make your burger: To a pound of ground beef, I added 1 tablespoon each of soy sauce, minced garlic, and Gochujang, along with 2 full finely sliced scallions. I made 4 tennis-ball-size balls, and formed them into 4 patties.
2. Katsu it up: Get 3 bowls ready - one with a 2/3 cup (ish) of white flour; one with 2 eggs and a dash of water mixed well with a fork; and one with about 1 cup of panko bread crumbs. With each patty, go for the flour first, covering well...then move on to the eggs, covering both sides well...and finish with the panko, again covering well. Let the 4 patties sit while you heat up the oil.
3. Now fry: In a heavy frying pan, heat up vegetable oil, about an inch high. I don't even take a temperature - drop a few panko crumbs in, and if they start sizzling, I'd say it's ready. Fry the patties 3 minutes on each side (they should be dark/golden brown and crispy) then remove from the oil and let them sit on paper towels.
4. Prep your condiments: Take a little mayo, and add in a big spoonful of Gochujang and a few drops of sesame oil, and mix well. In another bowl, toss thinly sliced iceberg lettuce with a few splashes of juice from a jar of jalapenos from your fridge.
5. Now assemble: I like to use a brioche bun, and my fave way to prepare it is to gibe it a shot of coconut oil spray and then heat it face down for a few minutes on a griddle. Once it's browned, slab a bit of the mayo on the bottom, add a nice portion of the lettuce, add the burger, cover with some of your vinegar cukes, add some mayo to the top bun, and voila!
It sounds like a bunch of steps - but it's actually super easy. ENJOY!
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