Recipe: Spicy Bibimbap Burger
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Bibigo USA challenged me to develop a recipe that used one of their products plus only 5 additional ingredients to make a delicious and flavorful meal. One of my favorite products of theirs is their version of gochujang—unlike the typical gochujang that is a thick paste in a plastic tub, Bibigo Hot & Sweet Go-Chu-Jang Sauce is much more conducive to being used as a sweet, spicy, tangy condiment. I knew it would be the only condiment necessary to make a delicious burger, so it inspired me to develop this bibimbap burger recipe.
My key to making a delicious burger at home is the super high-quality, fatty ground beef that I use for the patty. There is a tiny butcher shop in my neighborhood, The Butcher Shop by Niku, that sells ground domestic wagyu beef for a very reasonable price. I asked them once what their fat percentage is for this beef, and they said it was upwards of 40%, which is much higher than the ground beef I see at the normal grocery store meat counter. It really makes a difference, and I have not been able to make burgers with any other ground beef since…nor will I ever order a burger at a restaurant, because I know mine will be better! (Fast food chains do not count in this contest.) However, if you do not live near me and do not have access to affordable ground wagyu, I learned an interesting trick from my friend Dinesh (@myasiankitchen) for how to get your burger patty to be more tender and juicy: freeze a stick of butter and grate some of it into your ground beef! This will up the fat percentage of your patty and make it amazing!
For this burger recipe, I used ingredients that I thought were typical of bibimbap, to build upon the Korean theme. However, I encourage you to use your own favorite bibimbap ingredients and get creative! Or, even if you are making a regular cheeseburger, I honestly recommend trying Bibigo Hot & Sweet Go-Chu-Jang Sauce instead of ketchup because it’s such a complex and flavorful condiment.
How to Make Spicy Bibimbap Burgers
Ingredients
3/4 lb ground beef, high-fat recommended
2 hamburger buns (I used brioche ones)
1 oz spinach leaves, washed
6 medium shiitake mushrooms
2 eggs
Bibigo Hot & Sweet Go-Chu-Jang Sauce, to taste
Salt
Pepper
Cooking oil
Procedure
Divide ground beef into 2 equal portions. Here is the trick to getting perfect looking patties for your burger: Shape each into flat, round patties that are 125% the diameter of your hamburger buns, to account for shrinking when cooking. Then, gently make an indentation in the center of each patty; this will also help prevent the patty from swelling up and getting too tall to fit in your mouth. Note how my patties are exactly the same diameter as my buns when cooked—that’s how I did it! Place shaped patties in the refrigerator until ready to cook.
I used fresh shiitake mushrooms; if you are using dried, soak them in hot water until they are rehydrated. Trim off tough parts of shiitake stems and discard. Slice thinly. Heat a small skillet on medium-high and add a small amount of oil. Add mushrooms and sauté until cooked, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
Heat a cast iron skillet on high heat. Season patties generously with salt and pepper on both sides. When skillet is very hot, turn down the heat to medium high. If using lean ground beef, add a small amount of oil to the skillet; skip this step if the meat is over 30% fat. Place patties on skillet. For medium rare, cook for 2.5 minutes, flip, and cook for another 2.5 minutes on the other side.
While patties are cooking, toast buns if desired. (Why wouldn’t you, though…?)
Remove patties from heat and allow to rest on a separate plate for 2–3 minutes.
While patties are resting, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a small skillet and cook eggs over-easy.
Spread a generous amount of Bibigo Hot & Sweet Go-Chu-Jang Sauce on the inside of each half-bun. Assemble burgers in the order desired. I did spinach first, patty, fried egg, then mushrooms.
Thank you so much to Bibigo USA for sponsoring this recipe! For more recipe ideas and to learn more about their products, visit their website!