With some of the hottest days of the year this week, let’s face it – no one wants to be inside cooking dinner. So tonight, it is hamburgers on the barbecue.  But not just a boring or everyday hamburger, this one has pizzazz!  Introducing the kimchi cheeseburger!!!

Just think of how perfect this burger is.  No lettuce, no pickles, no onion – but all those flavor aspects are there in the kimchi.  And this is a quick dinner to make. While the grill was getting warmed up, I seasoned the ground beef patties, prepared the kimchi with my kitchen shears, and spread mayo on the buns for tasty toasting.

Kimchi cheeseburgers

Ingredients:

• 2 ground beef patties
• 1 cup of kimchi
• 2 hamburger buns
• 2 slices of cheese, any type (I used pepper jack)
• Mayonnaise
• Minced onions, dried
• Minced garlic, dried
• 5 spice powder
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tsp peanut oil

Preparation:

Heat the grill to high/medium high.  While grill is heating up, sprinkle minced onions, minced garlic, salt and pepper on patties. Lightly dust with 5 spice powder – a little goes a long way! Lastley, drizzle 1 tsp of peanut oil over each patty.

Lightly coat the insides of the buns with mayonnaise (or butter) to provide a flavorful toasting from the grill. Open the kimchi jar over the sink (it can bubble over and that would not be a fun mess to clean up!) and spoon out approximately 1 cup into a glass bowl. To cut the kimchi, I use my kitchen shears right in the bowl (a tip I learned from Ching-He Huang on the Cooking Channel!). The cut kimchi will be easier to eat when biting the burger.

By now the grill should be hot, so place the patty on the grill. After a few minutes, gently lift with your spatula and rotate 90 degrees.  Depending on your patties’ thickness and the heat of the grill, once you have a good sear on the first side, flip them over.  After the initial grill marks occur, again rotate 90 degrees and let finish cooking to your desired internal temperature. At this time, place the buns on the grill to get a quick toasting and place the cheese on the patties to ensure a good melt.

To assemble, place some kimchi on the bottom bun, cheeseburger patty next and more kimchi on top of the cheese. Put a top on it and enjoy!

(Disclaimer: Eating uncooked or under-cooked foods can cause food-borne illness. When in doubt, cook it longer. A meat thermometer or the bounce back test will help you determine doneness.)