Beef up burgers with spicy Korean flavors

Typical additions to a standard burger have forever included lettuce, a slice of tomato, onion, pickle slices and maybe a smear of mustard and ketchup. It's such a perfect mix of ingredients, all layered together inside a toasty bun. So why mess with perfection? Because you can, and you should.

Hamburgers are a terrific canvas for all kinds of flavors. Elements of pizza, nachos, even PB&J sandwiches can all be found tucked between a bun with a beef patty. And while today's Korean-inspired recipe, Gochujang Burgers with Spicy Kimchi Slaw, may seem like a stretch, it incorporates flavors and textures that share similarities with more familiar fare.

A crunchy slaw brings the same fresh crispness as lettuce. The kimchi in the slaw hits the same sour fermented notes you find in pickles, and Korean chile paste, or gochujang, actually has a touch of the same sweetness you taste in ketchup. And, of course, there's a ground beef patty and a bun. But that's where the similarities end.

Kimchi can vary in ingredients but usually includes some combination of vegetables (often cabbage, but sometimes carrots, radishes and cucumbers are used), garlic, ginger, chile peppers, salt and fish sauce. The mix is pickled and fermented, which originally was a way to preserve the vegetables for the winter months.

Its flavor is complex — a mixture of spicy, sour and umami — and in this burger, it's used to dial up the deliciousness in the slaw that sits atop the burger. The kimchi is chopped and added to a mixture of sliced cabbage, carrots and green onions. The veggies are dressed in a spicy gochujang mayo dressing.

Gochujang is a thick and spicy-sweet paste made from red chile pepper flakes, glutinous rice (also known as sticky rice), fermented soybeans and salt. The mix is fermented, meaning over time the starches in the glutinous rice are converted to sugars, giving the condiment its signature sweetness. The chile peppers provide the heat, and the fermented soybeans give it a slight miso-like quality that delivers an umami flavor.

The distinctive Korean chile paste is also mixed into the ground beef before it's formed into patties. The sweetness helps give the patties a deeply caramelized crust, sealing in the juices as they cook.

Yes, it may seem strange to combine such international flavors in an iconic American dish, but the result will certainly scratch your burger itch in a surprisingly delicious way.

Serves 4.

Note: Hot, beefy, juicy, crunchy and slightly sweet, these burgers, infused with two of the most iconic ingredients in Korean cooking, gochujang and kimchi, hit all the right notes. Both kimchi and gochujang can be found in Asian markets, online and in many well-stocked grocery stores. From Meredith Deeds.

For the slaw:

• 1/4 c. mayonnaise

• 2 tbsp. rice wine vinegar

• 1 to 2 tbsp. gochujang Korean chile paste

• 1 tbsp. grated fresh ginger

• 1 tsp. honey

• 2 cloves garlic, pressed

• 1/2 tsp. salt

• 3 c. shredded cabbage (green, red or a combination)

• 1/2 c. matchstick carrots

• 1/2 c. kimchi, chopped

• 4 green onions thinly sliced

For the burgers:

• 1 1/2 lb. ground beef

• 2 tbsp. gochujang Korean chile paste

• 1/2 tsp. salt

• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

• 1 tbsp. vegetable oil

• 4 hamburger buns, toasted

Directions

In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, vinegar, gochujang, ginger, honey, garlic and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add the cabbage, carrots, kimchi and green onions, toss to coat. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, use your hands to gently mix the ground beef with 2 tablespoons gochujang, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Divide the meat into four portions. Shape into four patties, about 4 inches across, and make a slight indentation in the center.

Heat the oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the burgers and cook for 2 minutes (it may be necessary to do this in two batches. Don't crowd the pan, as too much liquid may accumulate, and the burgers won't brown properly). Flip the burgers over and cook for another 2 minutes, or until they reach the desired doneness.

Place a burger on top of each bottom half of the buns. Top with slaw and the top half of the buns.

Meredith Deeds is a cookbook author and food writer from Edina. Reach her at meredithdeeds@gmail.com. Follow her on Instagram ­at @meredithdeeds.