Kevin Cooks: Kimchi Smash Burger
Foreword
Here’s an introductory post for the “Kevin Cooks” series. It’s where I showcase something I made recently. It’s not a place where I’m going to write a lengthy story with tips and tricks and a recipe at the end. It’s going to be a very simple post containing a narrative and the process of making it.
My goal is simply to inspire.
Kimchi Smash Burger and Homemade Fries
I was inspired to make this after watching a TikTok (I know…) on how to properly cook a smash burger. I don’t usually make burgers for myself, but this short video inspired me to use their techniques and try it myself. After experimenting with the smash burger in its simplest form, I wanted to take it one step further and add a bit of uniqueness to it. And thus, the kimchi smash burger.
List of ingredients:
Kimchi Mayo: mayo, gochujang, chopped kimchi, lime
Fries: potatoes, olive oil, thyme, paprika, salt, pepper, garlic powder
Burger: ground beef, chedder cheese, salt, pepper, onion.
Kimchi Mayo
Combined 2 parts mayo with 1 part gochujang, 1 part finely chopped kimchi, and the juice of half a lime.
If you want more heat, you can add more gochujang.
Homemade Fries
Cut 1-2 potatoes into wedge shaped pieces. Put into a pot of warm, salty water and let the potatoes rest in the water for about 20-30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Afterwards, pat them dry with paper towel. Drizzle olive oil on them, then add your spices: thyme, pepper, salt, paprika, and garlic powder. Make sure to toss them well to coat each fry as evenly as you can. Toss them onto a tray with aluminum foil and put it in the oven for about 30 minutes until you see them crisp up.
You want to put them in cold water to draw out the starch so that it can help create a crispier fry.
You can also fry them in oil - make sure you use a oil with a high-heat point (like canola or peanut). I use a double fry method. Heat it to 350 degrees, fry until golden brown. Let them rest for 30 minutes. Fry again at 400 degrees until crispy and darker brown.
Burger
Chop up part of an onion and set aside. Chop up kimchi into equal size pieces as the onion and set aside. Roll your ground beef into 2 spheres and smash it with some parchment paper so it turns into a flat saucer shape. Make sure the newly formed patty is one inch larger than the circumference of your buns.
Make sure your ground beef is about 1 inch in diameter larger than the circumference of your bun. Ok, maybe the math doesn’t matter, but what I’m trying to tell you is that you should make sure you have enough ground beef that it is bigger your bun because it will shrink in the pan.
Heat a pan on medium heat, and after the pan is hot, add a tbsp of butter. Throw in your chopped onions to begin sauteing. Add your two beef patties to the same pan. Add salt and pepper on one side. Then flip, and add your cheese.
You don’t need to salt and pepper both sides because the patty is so thin.
Lower the heat and cover with a lid to allow the cheese to steam and melt. Once they are done cooking, stack the two patties and add the sauteed onions on top. Set aside on a plate. Add your bun to the pan and let it soak up the butter and fat that was rendered out. Add your chopped kimchi and begin sauteing that. Put the lid back on to allow the buns to steam as well.
Once done, assemble your burger with the kimchi on the bottom bun, then 2 patties with onions, and a spoonful of the kimchi mayo on top.
