This juicy pork burger definitely hits the spot if you need to satisfy your banh mi craving! Vietnamese food in general is super fragrant, bright, and fresh (not to mention very affordable)! This burger has great textural and flavor contrast with the crunch & sweet tang of the pickled veggies, creaminess of the chicken pǎté, slight kick from the jalapenos and sriracha aioli, and juiciness from the seasoned pork patty. It’s all nestled in between two fluffy, buttered, and lightly toasted brioche buns. Give it a try and lemme know how you like it!
Recipe:
Prep Pickled Veggies (at least 1 day before):
In a jar or bowl, mix together 4 cups water, 1 tbsp salt, 3 tbsp sugar, and ½ cup vinegar (either rice vinegar or distilled white vinegar).
Peel and julienne about 1/2 cup carrots (about 2-3 small carrots or 1 large carrot) and 1/3 cup daikon radish
Note: You can continue using your peeler to shave off thin strips and then julienne them, or you can carefully cut them into thin matchsticks, closely resembling the size/width of an average chopstick
Drop all of the veggies into the jar, making sure to submerge them beneath the vinegar mixture. Refrigerate overnight for a quick pickle (or ideally for 2-3 days). Extra can be kept in fridge for additional 2 – 2 ½ weeks. Note: If you like spice, you can add some chopped red chilis into the pickling jar as well.
Prepare Sriracha Aioli: Mix together 2/3 cup Kewpie mayo (or regular mayo), 1 tbsp sriracha (depending on how much spice you like), and a generous squeeze of lime.
Prep Pork Burger Patty: makes about 4-5 burgers
In a bowl, mix together 1 lb ground pork (can substitute ground beef or ground chicken), ¼ cup finely chopped fresh basil, 2 stalks of green onion (finely chopped, both white and green parts), 4 cloves of garlic (finely grated or minced), 1 tbsp fish sauce, 1 tsp hoisin sauce, 1 tsp cornstarch, 1 tsp black pepper, and 1 tbsp finely chopped lemongrass (optional) [Chop the root-end off of 1 lemongrass stalk, bruise the bottom portion with the back end of a knife, peel off the outer fibrous layer, and cut off the pale portion. Finely dice that pale portion and add to the meat mixture].
With your hands, form patties that are slightly larger than the diameter of your burger bun, and make a slice indentation in the center (so the patty doesn’t tighten/shrink too much).
In a skillet, cook the patties on medium high heat for 4-5 minutes per side (or until internal temp reaches 145°F). Set aside to rest for ~5 minutes.
Prep Buns: In a separate skillet over low medium heat, quickly toast your burger buns (I used brioche) with some butter, until golden and crispy (about 1-2 minutes).
Prep Miscellaneous Ingredients:
Take out your pickled veggies from the fridge and drain before burger assembly.
Wash and thinly slice some Persian cucumbers.
Wash and separate some fresh cilantro leaves.
Wash and thinly slice 1-2 jalapenos
Burger Assembly: On each bun, slather on some sriracha aioli. If you like, on the bottom bun, add a nice layer of chicken liver pǎté (liverwurst). Follow that up with a nice handful of pickled veggies, sliced cucumbers, cilantro, and sliced jalapenos. Next, place your patty down, followed by more veggies and then finally the top bun. Enjoy!
